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JOHN    SALTER 


MARINER 


BY 

WIII.IAM     ril'.lUTS    SALTKR 

MCMBRII   OV    TMK    PX'I'KHKCt.L    rAMILV  ASMJCIMION,  TIIK  S<X  lETV  OF   COLONIAL  \VAK>i 
THK    SOKS   or    THB   KKVOLVTION,    AND   THE    NAVAL   ORUBK 

nr  rtir  unitid  statrs 


Ctrtum  volo  f^t^  fiiuni 


rni  I.  Ah  Kir  II  i  a 

JOHN    UK.  II  LANDS 

16  Norih  Klevcnth  St. 

M  CM. 


C^7/ 


Edition  Limited  to  T'wo  Hundred  Copies 


DORNAN,    PRINTER 
PHILADELPHIA 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PEPPERRELL   House Fro>Hisf>wce 


LIEUT.-GEN.  Sir  WII.I.IAM   PEPPERRELL hMme.   ?o 


Hon.  John  frost,  commandinp  H.B.M.  Frigate  £ia-jr J       "       36 


Mary  Pepperrell-Frost-Colman-Prescott  "     js 


M'^lJirjfm 


.101 1\   SALTKli.  MAKlNKi;, 


Tin:  Lomlon  (irtiphir  s;iy-;  :  "  Tlio  wirliest  n-conl  of  llio 
Siiltors  ( 'oiiipaiiy  U  a  thnil  ilat<'«l  tho  sc'vcnti'i'iitli  year  i)f 
Kiclinnl  II.  (13!>4),  ^rantinj;  Hwn.HO  to  the  ('Dinpany  <>f 
Saltors  to  Im'  a  ijuiM  or  fraternity  in  Imnor  of  'tin-  I^wly 
of  our  I^>nl  Jesus  Christ  in  the  Chiireh  of  All  Saints, 
oommoniy  callwl  AllhaUows,  Broad  Street.' 

"  AI>out  half  a  eentnry  hit«'r  Thomas  Heaiitnond,  an 
eminent  eiti/en,  h'ft  the  t>«)ni|iany  their  first  hall,  and 
ap|>ointe<l  hy  his  will  cvrtain  religious  serviees  to  he  |H'r- 
forme<I  hy  the  priest,  hrethren,  and  sisters  of  the  ^nild. 
8onje  years  later  an  attempt  was  made  to  prove  that  the 
rclij^ions  ^uild  an»l  the  Salters  ( 'ompany  were  two  distinct 
corporations,  and  that  Heaumond  intcnde<l  to  heqneath 
the  pro|>erty  to  the  D'liijions  ImmIv  exflii>ivrlv  ;  hnt  it  was 
<lt^•ide^^  hy  law  that  the  '  Kili^ions  (Inild  an<l  the  Salters 
Com|>any  were  identical.' 

"On  the  fi-tti^t  of  the  patron  s:iint  the  l>roth«r>  and 
BWten*  of  the  <-onipany  met,  and,  aftir  varions  religions 
•erviiv*,  high  nuuw,  pntconHionM,  etc.,  dine<l  to^*ther  in  the 
ooni[ittny's  Imll.  In  some  of  th»'  ••ompjinies  it  wa.s  the 
rule  that  evcrk'  hn»ther  ithould  hrin^'  his  wife  or  '  a 
maiilen  *  to  tho  foaal — not  to  sit  in  a  ^llerv,  a-s  in  now 
tlie  fitnliion,  and  look  down  n|M)n  their  lords  and  nnisters 
fewlin^;  Iwlow,  hnt  t'»  sit  at  th«'  tnhh*  and  to  take  jKirt  in 
the  feast. 

"There  were  some  vcrj*  sin^dar  ceremonie?*  olj«er\*ctl 


b  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

by  the  guilds  and  companies.  The  Salters  Company,  for 
instance,  were  enjoined  by  the  will  of  Thomas  Salter  to 
go  annually  to  the  Church  of  St.  Magnus  for  the  purpose 
of  keeping  an  obit,  and  there  they  performed  the  quaint 
ceremony  of  knocking  upon  the  grave,  and  each  person 
saying  :  '  How  do  you  do.  Brother  Salter  ? '  This  prac- 
tice was  only  discontinued  early  in  the  present  century." 

The  Parliamentary  Commission  to  investigate  the  guilds 
of  London,  over  seventy  in  number,  report  the  Salters 
Company  and  the  shipwrights  as  founded  in  1380.  During 
the  reign  of  James  I.  the  Salters  Company  owned  in 
Ulster,  Ireland,  10,900  acres.  These  lands  were  originally 
owned  by  the  O'Neills,  and  were  confiscated  during  the 
reign  of  Elizabeth  and  James  I.  Under  the  Ashbourne 
act  nearly  the  whole  of  the  county  of  Londonderry  was 
transferred  by  the  guilds  of  London  to  the  tenants,  the 
Salters  Company  holding  250,000  acres. 

J.  E.  Still  well,  M.D.,  says  the  Salter  family  may 
justly  lay  claim  to  considerable  antiquity.  In  the  reign 
of  Henry  VI.,  temp.  1423,  there  lived  one  William 
Salter,  who  was  possessed  of  good  estate  and  whose 
ancestors  had  resided  at  and  were  the  lords  for  over  two 
hundred  years  of  a  manor  called  Bokenhamis,  in  Eng- 
land. Walter  Salter  lived  in  the  time  of  Richard  III., 
temp.  1482.  At  the  upper  end  of  the  south  aisle  in  the 
church  of  Tottengen,  in  the  county  of  Norfolk,  there  is 
erected  to  himself  and  lady  a  tablet  with  the  following 
inscription  : 

"  Orate  pro  animabus 
Walter  Salter  et  Alice  uxoris  ejus 
Et  pro  quibus  tenentus." 

"  Pray  for" the  souls  of  Walter  Salter  and  Alice  his  wife  and  for 
the  souls  of  all  that  belong  to  them." 


JOHN      S  A  1-  1   K  K  ,     M  A  K  1  N  h  U  .  7 

In  1')'2  4  Ilt'iirv  SalUT  was  one  of  the  .•>lu'rilTs  ()f  X(ti- 
wieh.  In  1G05  John  Salter  was  mayor  of  Norwich.  In 
1GG3  tlie  charter  wa.s  renewed  hy  CharU's  II.,  and  John 
Salter  wiws  one  of  the  twenty-four  aldfrinen  who  were 
a|)pointpd.  He  tiled  Xoveinher  20,  lljGO,  a^cd  seventy- 
seven  years,  and  was  luiried  in  the  f'hureh  of  St. 
An«lrew. 

Hridijet,  wife  of  Mathew  Salter,  died  ])r<<'inl)er  M, 
1G7(),  aj;iKl  forty-two  years.  She  was  internd  in  the 
Church  of  St.  Ethelre«l,  and  from  her  tonil)  is  copied  the 
following  (juaint  epitaj)!)  : 

"  Tho  tlead  yet  dear 
Tho  dead  yet  dear  to  me 
Dead  is  her  body 
Dear  her  momorie." 


It  is  dttiihtless  from  some  of  the  foregoing  persons  that 
theSjiIters  in  this  coimtry  are  descended.  If  Mrs.  Bridget 
was,  as  is  positively  jisserted,  the  mother  of  twenty-two 
children,  it  was  no  wonder  that  some  of  them  wanted  to 
leave.  In  Kn;;land  at  tlic  present  time  the  name,  though 
not  common,  is  still  considerahly  met  with  in  certain 
Im-alitics,  esjM'cially  in  the  vicinity  of  Norfolk. 

In  .Vmeriai  there  are  stn'enil  ilintinct  fannlie>  of  the 
name,  wlwne  arrival  dates  hack  to  the  latter  part  of  the 
seventeenth  century. 

The  ilejHMMiclantsof  .lojm  Salter,  who  settled  at  Odiorne'H 
Point,  N.  If.,  and  Kichard  Salter,  the  «'arly  settler  in 
Monmouth  County,  New  Jers<«y,  have  Ihimi  tin-  most 
prominent  iti  |H>i(it  of  nmnhers,  as  well  jis  the  most  con- 
spicuous in  HK'ial  an<l  politind  life. 

A    family   of    the   name    ri'siding    in    North    Carolina 


8  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

during  the  Revolution  contributed  a  commissary  to  the 
army  and  two  members  to  the  Provincial  Congress. 
Another  residing  in  New  York  City  during  the  post- 
revolutionary  period  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits, 
and  I  have  been  written  that  in  1878,  while  the  Rev. 
William  Salter,  D.D.,  of  Burlington,  Iowa,  was  travelling 
in  Colorado,  he  met  the  Rev.  Charles  C.  Salter,  who  stated 
that  his  grandfather  came  to  this  country  in  1794  from 
Tiverton,  Devonshire. 

Sampson  Salter  was  admitted  a  freeman  March  20, 
1638,  at  Newport,  R.  I. 

The  first  Salter  enrolled  as  a  freeman  under  the  charter 
of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony  was  Will  Salter,  May 
25,  1636.  He  was  born  in  1607,  was  well  educated, 
kept  the  prison,  and  was  witness  to  many  wills  now  on 
record  in  Boston.  In  those  good  old  times  the  pious 
men  of  Boston  captured  Indians,  sold  them  as  slaves  to 
the  planters  in  the  West  Indies,  and  hung  Mrs.  Hibbins 
for  being  a  witch.  Will  Salter  witnessed  her  will.  He 
died  August  10,  1675,  and  was  buried  in  the  King's 
Chapel  yard.  ]\Iary  Salter,  his  widow,  was  made  execu- 
trix. In  his  will  he  mentions  his  son  John,  '■'■  who  has  gone 
away,  but  if  he  returns  he  shall  have  five  acres  of  land." 

John  Salter  and  Henry  Salter  were  enrolled  as  soldiers 
in  King  Philip's  war,  and  on  October  9,  1720,  Rev. 
Thomas  Foxcraft,  of  Boston,  married  Jolin  Salter,  aged 
eighty  years,  to  Abigail  Durrant,  so  he  must  have  re- 
turned for  his  five  acres. 

On  January  30,  1598,  at  Aston  Clinton,  County  Berks, 
England,  Mary,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Alice  Baldwin, 
was  married  to  Richard  Salter. 

In  1622  Alice  Baldwin  left  forty  shillings  each  to  her 
seven  grandchildren,  and  ten  pounds  to  "  my  daughter. 


J  O  us     S  A  I.  IKK,    M  A  K  I  N  K  K  .  U 

Mary  Salti-r. "  Ilcr  executors  were  Ivirhanl  Salter  and 
Hiehanl  li.iMuin.  The  latter,  when  he  died,  in  will 
(hitetl  l\l)riiary  IS,  Ki.'Vi,  left  \\\<  sister,  Mary  Salter,  ton 
pounds,  and  the  >ain('  ti»  each  of  her  four  chililnii — 
Marv,  John,  Sarah,  and  l>avid. 

David  Salter,  in  his  will,  April  11.  li'.tl'.t,  made  his 
widow,  Sarah  Salter,  sole  legatee,  I  iit  no  trace  of  John 
Salter  can  he  fonnd  in  the  English  records,  and  it  is  (juite 
possihle  that  with  the  money  received  hy  the  will  date<l 
in  \^\'.\'2  he  came  to  New  Kngland.  His  age  is  fixed  l»y 
the  fact  that  his  father,  Ivichard  Salter,  was  married 
thirty- four  years  previons. 

The  gn'ut  plague  of  l^ondon  came  in  l<i(J4.  Twenty- 
five  |>er  cent,  of  the  population  died  and  emigration  was 
.«;topjM>d. 


\\  ar-danci>  were  regularh"  held  cverv  si-ason,  hut  kiss- 
ing and  ki.s.sing  gjimes  were  nnkniwii  and  unheard  of  in 
New  IIamp>hire  until  Martin  I'ring,  in  June,  1<!(>.'{, 
jwiiled  ten  miles  up  the  Piscatatjua  in  tlu'  ship  Speedwell, 
fifty  tons,  and  hark  Discoverer,  twentv-six  tons,  carry- 
ing forty-tiiree  meu.  He  did  not  see  anv  Indian  girls, 
if  his  log-|><M>k  can  be  trn.xtcd,  l»ut  Samuel  de  (  hamjtlain 
luiuled  July  15,  1605,  at  Odiorne's  Point,  the  Plymouth 
K'M^k  of  New  Hampshire,  and  f«>und  sjivagcs  of  all  kinds. 
They  drew  for  him  a  map  of  the  adjacent  e(»asts. 

After  Champhiin  <-ame  Captain  .lohn  Smith,  in  IHI  4, 
who  ehri.Hteiied  the  n»uiitry  '*  New  Kngland,"  rcferre<l 
to  by  an  old  Knglish  |MM't,  (Jeorge  Wither  : 

"  In  that  iiiilt*  gariifii  y<»u  N»'w  Kn^lunrl  Htyle."' 

Caplnin  Smith  found  a  large  Indian  |M)pidation  on 
Ijoth    nhoiVH   of   the    IMMiitaqua,    but    n'ganllejw   of    the 


10  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

savages  the  first  emigrants  pitched  their  teuts  and  com- 
menced fishing. 

John  Odiorne  settled  at  Odiorne's  Point,  in  1623,  and 
gave  it  the  name  it  has  borne  to  this  day. 

The  tradition  handed  down  to  the  Portsmouth  Salters 
is  that  John  Salter,  the  first  of  that  name  in  New  Eng- 
land, came  from  the  west  of  England,  near  Exeter,  to  the 
Isles  of  Shoals,  and  later  settled  at  Odiorne's  Point. 
John  Salter  probably  brought  his  wife  with  him,  as 
maidens"  were  scarce  in  the  colonies  at  that  period, 

Samuel  Hinckes  writes,  July  19,  1724  :  ^'  The  14 
instant  went  hence  volenters  from  Piscatt  after  Indian 
pirets  as  also  Sundryes  and  one  Capt  Salter  from  the 
Sholes  &  4  met  at  green  Tslands,  said  Salter  (since  Part- 
ing from  his  consorts  who  arrived  here  to  Day)  informs 
me  he  meet  with  the  Indian  Privateer  a  sconer  once  of 
marblehead  full  of  Indians  Extraordinary  well  fitted  who 
Chased  them  3  hours  &  she  Takes  all  she  Can  come  vp 
with,  so  that  the  fishermen  dont  go  East  of  this  Place  or 
scarce  to  sea." 

In  July,  1729,  Captain  John  Salter  and  Thomas  Man- 
nery  appeared  before  the  Royal  Council  relative  to  a  cruise 
"  after  ye  Eastern  Indians." 

The  latter  testified  :  "  Ye  Indian  Scooner  first  discovered 
under  ye  Eastermost  Green  Island  to  ye  Westward  of 
Manpomecus  last  Fryday  between  3  and  4  o'clock  p.m. 
and  that  Capt  John  Salter  was  then  abt  a  league  and  a 
•half  distant  to  ye  Eastwd  and  to  windward  withall,  and 
yt  ye  deponent  tackd  his  vessel  to  speak  wth  his  con- 
sort Salter  and  came  up  wth  him  and  spoke  wth  him  in 
less  than  half  an  hour,  and  then  told  that  under  yonder 
Green  Island  were  the  Enemy  they  came  to  seek  for,  and 
asked   him  if  he  Avould  go  and  see  him  ;  to  which  Capt 


J  O  11  N     S  A  L  T  K  K  ,    M  A  K  I  N  I :  K  .  II 

SaltiT  rt'plyil  he  would;  ami  upon  s<l  Salter's  so  sayiti};  ye 
Dt'poiiciit  shot  aloiiix  alu'ad  of  hiiu  toward  ye  Indn  scooncr, 
and  Salter  followd  on," 

In  I72S  .John  Salter's  name  appears  anion^^  the  tax- 
payers in  New  Castle,  and  in  \7'.\\  he  asked  the(ieneral 
Assemldy  to  he  sit  olT  to  Rye.  ( )diorne's  I'oint  is  still 
in  live. 

Deeeinher  1,  ITl.'l,  ainon<:  the  list  of  men  who  ixtr- 
rowed  4;l*o, ()(>(>  the  name  of  .John  Salter  appears  for  L]'!-"). 
John  Frost  reeeived  f25  an<l  Jotham  Odiorne,  Jr.,  I'JOO. 

Jatniary  '),  174S,  John  Salter  and  William  Frost  si^'n 
a  protest  a;;alnst  an  elt ctioii   retnrn. 

W'li.i.  <ii'  Joii  N   S.M.rF.i:. 
PrnhiiUtl  at  Kn-lrr,   .V.   //..    IToo. 

In  the  name  of  iun\  amen.  This  IJth  day  of  May 
in  the  vear  of  onr  Lord  ITo'J.  I.  .John  Salter  of  Rye 
in  the  province  of  N.  II.  (ient.  heinj;  seusilde  of  my 
mortality  and  liein^r  advamtd  in  years,  hnt  of  sonnd  dis- 
jM>sin^  njind  and  niemory  do  make  and  ordain  this  tn  l>e 
iny  last  Will  and   Testament. 

I  reeonunend  my  soul  into  the  hands  of  Go«l  hopini:  for 
salivation  and  happiness  in  and  throngh  themcrey  of  Jesiis 
Christ  and  niv  ImmIv  I  commit  to  the  earth  to  he  hnrird  in 
a  de<'ent  manner  l»y  my  executor  hereafter  named.  And 
touching  my  wi»rldly  estate  I  ^ive  jh'inise  and  tlisposc 
thereof  in  mannner  followinj; 

I  will  and  order  that  my  just  dehts  and  funenil  <'har^e8 
Ih"  paid  in  convenient  time  after  my  deeeu.>*e  hy  my  Kx- 
wiitor 

I  jfive  nnti>  my  Ii«lov««l  \\  ife  Amy  the  sum  of  Twenty- 
five  |M>uiu).4.      I  also  give  her  one  <*<)W,  ami  all  the  swine 


12  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

I  shall  have  at  the  time  of  my  death  and  all  the  provisions 
that  shall  be  in  my  house  at  that  time.  Also  all  my  beds 
and  bedding  and  household  furniture,  all  the  aforesaid  to 
be  at  her  own  disposal.  I  also  give  her  the  interest  of 
all  the  money  I  shall  leave,  debts  and  funeral  charges 
being  paid  during  the  time  she  shall  continue  my  widow. 
I  also  give  her  the  use  and  improvement  of  the  new  end 
of  my  dwelling  house  during  the  time  aforesaid  and  I  will 
and  order  that  the  principal  sum  aforesaid  be  equally 
divided  among  ray  children  upon  the  death  of  my  wife, 
or  upon  her  marrying  again  which  shall  first  happen. 

I  give  and  devise  unto  my  son  Richard  and  my  son 
Titus  the  sum  of  five  shillings  each.  I  give  unto  my 
grandson  John  Randall  ten  pounds.  I  given  unto  my 
daughters  Mary  Mace,  Elizabeth  Ruby,  Charity  Leach, 
Margery  Hall,  Martha  Sanborn,  and  Sarah  Sloper  the 
sum  of  five  shillings  each. 

I  will  and  order  that  my  two  acres  of  Salt  Marsh  at 
Little  harbor  so  called,  lying  near  salt  marsh  of  James 
Clarkson  Esq  and  also  my  two  oxen  be  sold  by  my  Exec. 
as  soon  as  may  be  after  my  decease  and  that  out  of  the 
money  that  shall  be  raised  thereby  ten  pounds  be  paid 
unto  my  grandson  John  Salter,  a  son  of  my  son  Alex. 
Salter  deceased  and  to  whom  I  give  ten  pounds,  and  three 
pounds  fifteen  shillings  unto  Mary  Salter  and  three 
pounds  fifteen  shillings  unto  Lucy  Salter  daughter  of  my 
son  Alex.  Salter  deceased  to  whom  I  give  three  pounds 
fifteen  shillings  each. 

I  give  and  demise  that  tract  of  land  at  Rye  where  I 
now  live  containing  about  thirty  acres  which  I  bought  of 
one  Joseph  Morrell  with  the  buildings  thereon  unto  my 
grandson  Alex.  Salter  son  of  my  son  Alex  Salter  de- 
ceased and  unto  his  heirs  and  assigns  forever  if  he  shall 


JOHN     SALTKK,    M  A  K  1  N  K  K  .  lo 

arrive  unto  the  a^e  of  twinty-one  years,  but  if  he  shall 
not  arrivi'  at  that  a^e,  I  give  ami  devise  the  same  unto 
my  grautlson  .Inhii  SaltiT  hefore  mentioned  and  nnt<t  his 
heirs  and  assiijns  ftm-ver  if  he  shall  arrive  nntn  the  age 
of  twenty-one  years,  l»iit  if  he  shall  not  arrive  at  that  age 
I  give  and  demise  the  s;ime  nnto  my  two  grand  daughters 
Marv  anil  Luey  Salter  hefore  mentioned  and  unto  their 
heirs  ami  assigns  forever  e([ually  <livided. 

I  will  and  order  that  my  wife  Amy  and  my  ilaughter 
in  law  I'liziiheth  the  widow  of  my  son  Alexaiuler  de- 
eeasetl  have  the  use  and  improvement  of  the  said  traet  of 
land  so  long  as  they  eontinue  widows  towanls  the  hring- 
ing  up  of  the  chihlien  of  my  son  Alex,  deceased,  but  not 
to  commit  any  strip  or  waist  thereon.  And  as  to  the  rest 
ami  resiiluc  of  my  estate  both  real  and  pei*son;il  whereso- 
ever and  whatsoever  I  give  and  beijiuath  the  sanu'  unto 
my  chihlren  e«jually  divided  between  them.  And  I 
«le.-ire  and  reipiest,  .lames  Marden  and  Stephen  Marden 
both  of  Rye  aforesiiid  to  be  guardians  unto  the  children 
of  my  son  Ale.\.  deceased.  And  I  hereby  constitute  and 
apjM)int  my  wife  Amy  and  my  son  Titus  Salter  to  be 
Kxee.  of  this  my  last  will  and  testament  hereby  ratifying 
this  and  no  other  to  l>e  my  hist  will  and  testametjt.  In 
testimony  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  haml  and  seal 
the  day  and  year  first  alM)ve  written 

.lollN    Sai/fku 

\Vitne«s«?s 

AlJNKi;    (   ol.K 
JolI.N    .J<)NF>* 

John  .J« ).>!■>*  Jit. 
Matiikw  LivKiiMoiir. 

If  John  SalliT,  f)f  Kyo,  gent.,  u<'rc  a«lvani-e«l  in  years  in 
1752,  when  his  S4>n  Richard  was  forty-thret*,  he  mu^t  have 


14  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

been  born  as  early  as  1672,  at  Odiorne's  Point.  There 
should  be  some  record  in  Exeter  to  show  what  year  he 
bought  the  farm  of  thirty  acres  left  to  his  grandson, 
Alexander  Salter,  eight  years  old  (named  after  his  father), 
in  Rye,  where  he  died  November  14,  1801,  aged  fifty- 
seven. 

In  the  North  Church  records  there  is  a  baptism  of 
John,  son  of  John  and  Martha  Salter,  October  4,  1730. 
Martha  had  probably  died  before  the  will  was  made.  A 
daughter  had  died,  as  a  grandson,  John  Randall,  receives 
ten  pounds.  Nine  children  are  remembered  in  the  will. 
Amy  was  the  second  wife,  and  probably  young,  as  she 
was  to  have  the  use  of  the  mansion  until  she  married 
again.  Ebenezer  Sanborn,  born  July  25,  1712,  married 
in  June,  1740,  Martha,  named  after  the  first  wife. 

Titus  Salter,  the  executor,  did  good  service  in  the 
Revolution.  In  1765  a  petition  for  a  light-house  at 
Odiorne's  Point  was  signed  by  Titus  Salter,  Richard 
Salter,  and  John  Salter,  and  they  were  requested  to  re- 
port on  the  estimated  cost.  Four  days  after  the  fight  at 
Bunker  Hill,  June  21,  1775,  the  schooner  Ann,  owned 
by  Titus  Salter,  was  seized  by  H.  B.  M.  ship  Scar- 
borough, but  on  October  2d  Captain  Titus  Salter  retali- 
ated and  seized  the  ship  Prince  George,  bound  to  Boston 
with  1892  barrels  of  flour  for  General  Gage's  army.  The 
farmers  made  good  soldiers,  but  it  was  left  to  the  priva- 
teers and  the  few  armed  boats  in  the  na\'y  to  supply  the 
hungry  soldiers  with  food  and  clothing  intercepted  en 
route  to  Boston. 

General  Washington  was  very  much  pleased  with  Titus 
Salter  for  his  capture  of  flour,  even  if  it  were  fifty  miles 
away  from  camp,  and  wrote  William  Whipple  to  send 
him  1200  barrels.     The  name  of  William  Whipple  appears 


JOHN    S  A  I,  r  i:  K  ,     M  A  K  I  N  1    i: .  I  o 

on  tlio  (tiilv  tllc  of  linston  papers  nf  tlii>  pciiiul  in  the 
LtMJox  Lilmiry. 

•lamiary  .">,  177<>,  C'apfain  Titiis  Salter  was  instructed 
to  enlist  ninety  men  for  tlie  garrison  of  Fort  Washington, 
ami  also  to  order  every  one  «)n  the  Isles  of  Shoals  to  leave. 

The  ('oMHuittie  of  Safety  in  I'xt'ter,  .Inly  8,  177!>,  ap- 
|)ointiHl  Titus  Salter  captain  of  the  arnieil  sliij)  llninjxhn 
iti  the  PtMiohscot  expedition. 

In  17S;},  at  the  end  of  the  war,  the  thaid<s  of  the 
(ienend  Assenihly  were  voted  to  Captain  Titus  Salter  for 
all  his  good  services  for  the  State. 

March  11,  17!M),  Titus  Salter  made  a  contract  with  the 
State  of  New  Hampshire,  and  on  November  IH,  17I>0, 
ronewetl  the  contract  with  Alexander  Hamilton,  Secretary 
of  the  Treasury,  to  erect  and  maintain  a  light-house  at  the 
entrance  to  I'ortsmonth  hari)or. 

Titus  Salter  was  horn  in  Oitoher,  172'J.  He  died  Sep- 
temher  2n,  17J»S.  He  marrietl  Kli/aheth  IJiekfonl,  July 
11,  1745. 

•Mexander  Salter,  referred  to,  was  on  (he  niii.»ter-roll  of 
Captain  Fnineis  Locke's  comjtanv,  .lulv  'J,  171<),  at  Fort 
M  illiamand  Mary.  His  son,  Alexander,  was  mnstere<l  in 
Captain  Joseph  Parsons' (Y)n)j)any  of  miinite-mcn,  Novem- 
ber '12,  177").  In  December,  1785),  .Mexander  signed  a 
petition  for  a  bridge  at  New  ( 'astle,  ami  on  Di-cember  18, 
17H7,  joined  Titus  and  John  Salter  in  u  petition  for  a 
bridge  at  Sng:imor<". 

The  will  refers  t(»  a  grandson,  John  Salter.  (  )n  the 
pay-roll  of  a  contpany  of  light-hor>ie  volunteers,  com- 
mandetl  by  Colonel  .John  I^ngdon  in  the  expe<liti«)n  to 
KhtMJe  I-land,  in  August,  1778,  the  name  of  John  Salter 
ap|K".irs.  Then*  was  a  tight  atC^uaker  Hill,  Rhode  Island, 
Augu.st  2'Jth. 


16  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

John  Salter,  son  of  Titus  Salter,  was  appointed  second 
lieutenant  of  the  privateer  General  Sullivan,  November 
17,  1778.     He  died  in  1794. 


This  will  is  the  earliest  reliable  record  that  we  can  find 
of  John  Salter.     His  name  is  not  mentioned  in  his  son's 
family  Bible,  printed  in  Oxford  in  1738; 
''  Richard  Salter  his  book  January  2.3,  1739 
'^  Richard  Salter  was  born  March  14,  1709 
"  Elizabeth  Odiorne  Salter 
''  his  wife  born  February  21,  1709 

"  This  cople  was  married  October  8,  1731" 
Richard  Salter  died  at  Halifax,  N.  S.,  April  10,  1768  ; 
his  wife  died  in  September,  1748,    on   Salter's  Island, 
Portsmouth  harbor. 

When  the  first  settlement  was  made  at  New  Castle  is 
unknown,  but  as  early  as  1650  it  was  already  a  place  of 
considerable  importance.  Its  proximity  to  Odiorne's 
Point,  just  across  Little  Harbor,  where  the  first  house  in 
New  Hampshire  was  built,  in  1 623,  is  sufficient  ground 
to  suppose  that  this  island  must  have  been  occupied  very 
soon  after  the  landing  of  the  first  settlers.  In  1660  John 
Odiorne  received  forty-two  acres  in  New  Castle  in  a  divi- 
sion of  public  lands.  For  many  years  New  Castle  was 
the  seat  of  business  of  Portsmouth,  the  most  populous  and 
the  most  aristocratic  part  of  the  town.  New  Castle  be- 
came a  port  of  entry  about  1686,  and  for  one  hundred 
years  after  the  shipping  business  was  extensive. 

John  Odiorne  was  born  in  1627.  He  married  Mary, 
daughter  of  James  Johnson,  and  died  at  New  Castle  in 
1707.  His  son  Jotham,  who  was  born  in  1675,  married 
Sarah  Bassum,  and  died  in  1748.     His  Majesty  George 


JOHN     S  A  L  T  K  R  ,    M  A  R  I  N'  K  R  .  17 

II.  sij;iie<l  :i  wHrnint  .Fiily  11,  172  1,  :i<liiiittin^  liiin  tt)"ye 
i'omii'il  of  this  l*ri>viii<'<\"  <  >iir  <;nintliin>tlu'r  was  then 
fiftifii  years  old. 

Haniiai)  W'ciitworth  at  «li(Tt'ront  times  luul  all  these 
dates  engraved  on  the  hottoin  of  her  lari;e  silver  waiter 
for  the  henelit  of  Kli/.al>eth's  t;ninilchildreii  : 

C'liii  I'KiN   oi-  liuiiAUit  Sai.tki:    AM)  Klizakkth 
Odiornk. 

Eliz;iln'th  licini  .liiK  It  IT-l'Jdifd  177'J  Marrifd  Kichard 

Mill< 

Hit  (lauiihtor  Anne  niiirried  Moses  Copp. 

.John  Itoiii  173")  died  an  infant 

Mrhilahle  Uorn  17;>S  Marri.-.l  I>ra«'l  Tilthits  and  had  3 
ehiidreil 

And  .lohn  Monlton  and  iiad  J  ihildren  .K)hn  and 
Nahhy. 

John  l)..rn  Nov  14  1740 
Titus 

His  Hon  Titus  married  Ahij^ail  Krost. 

His  jjrand.Hoii  .lohn  Lake  .^alter  niurriod  four  times. 

William  not  married 

Captain  of  the  hri;;  NN'illiani  in  17»)8 

liii-hard  Married  Kli/alieth  Avres 

and  Kli/;iheth  Tuesihdl. 

Harriet  C  Salter  s:iid  that  when  she  was  a  jj;irl  she 
went  with  her  mother  to  the  fnneral  of  the  first  wife,  who 
was  Jifty-fonr  and  I'ncle  Riehard  ahont  sixty.  After  the 
services  her  mother  told  Betsy  Tuesdull,  then  ahont  fifty, 
she  wotdd  make  a  pxxl  wife  for  Unide  liichanl,  and  in 
tlie  eours«>  of  a  yi*ar  they  were  married.  In  th»'  North 
l)nnk'in|^-j^n)und  are  the  stones  to  tiie  memory  of  lHi/.;ilMth, 
wife  of  Captain  Uichard  Salter,  die<l  .Inly  2o,  1805,  aped 


18  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

fifty-four,  and  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Captain  Richard 
Salter,  died  June  17,  1836,  aged  eighty-two. 

Richard  Salter  had  ten  children.  Three  named  Eliza- 
beth and  two  named  John  (who  died  in  infancy),  and 
Richard,  Perkins,  Thomas,  Joseph,  and  Nancy. 

Nancy  Salter,  born  1778,  died  1825,  married  her  first 
cousin,  Titus  Salter,  son  of  the  executor,  Titus  Salter,  re- 
ferred to.  They  had  four  children  :  Ann,  married  C.  S. 
Toppan;  Mary,  married  J.  M.  Tredick;  Charlotte;  Henry 
Perkins  Salter  (father  of  Thomas  P.  Salter). 

The  letter-of-marque  brig  of  eight  guns  called  the 
Scorpion  was  commanded  by  Captain  Richard  Salter. 

In  May,  1777,  Richard  Salter  got  into  trouble,  and  his 
sloop,  the  Friends  Adventure,  was  seized  in  Massachusetts 
waters  because  he  had  altered  his  papers  to  escape  capture 
by  British  cruisers  in  the  West  Indies.  His  friends 
thought  he  was  justified  in  resorting  to  any  device  to  get 
home. 


Captain  John  Salter,  Mariner. 
Born  November  14,  1740;  died  September  28,  1814. 

Married  First. 
Dorothy  Bickford,  December  13,  1762.    She  was  born 
May  13,  1740;  died  March  18,  1776. 

Married  Second. 
Elizabeth,  April  14,   1778.     She  was  born  June  26, 
1745. 

Married  Third. 

Jane  Frost,  November  1,  1783.     She  was  born  March 
7,  1757;  died  December  10,  1837 


JOHN    8ALTKR,    M  ARINKR.  19 

The  siepo  of  Rotiton  continuc<l  during  tlic  summer  and 
iintiitnn  of  177"),  iuu\  tlicrc  would  apjuar  to  l)c  no  reason 
wliv  an  experienced  eaptain  like  dolm  Salter,  at  that  time 
tliirtv-live  vears  old,  slionld  not  t;o  tt)  sea  in  a  privateer. 
Til>l)its  refers  to  his  many  voyages  before  this  dat<>  as  a 
master  of  vessels. 

John  Salter  writes  Lane,  Son  tV  Fraser  that  he  sailo<l 
Soptemln^r  (>,  1775,  from  Newhuryport  in  the  ship  Cri.tin, 
iMMind  to  Antigua,  and  two  days  later  he  was  fired  upon 
l)V  II.  1>.  M.  ship  Live/t/  and  taken  t<»  Boston.  "  My 
whip  lies  with  her  airgo  in  lur  yet  and  what  will  he 
done  with  it  1  cannot  write  at  present.  I  am  kept  here, 
and  not  permitted  to  go  home  nor  proceed  on  my  voyage: 
I  have  not  heanl  from  Col  Hoy<l  since  I  have  been  here. 
Such  time's  N'ew  iMigland  never  saw  before.  I  hope  in 
timl  that  something  will  he  done  in  Kngland  this  winter 
to  make  uj)  this  nnhap])y  affair  and  that  we  may  hear  of 
no  more  hlood  H|)ilt  amongst  us."  Captain  Salter  stayed 
on  shore  until  the  Revolution  wa.s  over. 

Bn'wster,  in  his  liamUes,  says  :  '*  There  are  in  Ports- 
mouth harlK>r  more  than  a  dozen  other  islands  of  various 
sizes,  addiiiir  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  water  landstajM^ 
as  vi«'\v«Ml  from  various  points.  As  seen  from  the  Auburn 
Cemetery,  the  most  pronunent  is  Salter's  Island,  a  hand- 
some swell  of  land,  on  which  is  a  house  sitting  very 
pleasantly  in  the  basin  on  the  east,  near  Fnune's  Point, 
where  the  Newcastle  bridge  eonnivts  with  Portsmouth. 
It  was  for  manv  vears  the  n^sidenci'  of  ( 'aptain  John 
Salter,  niarin»T,  uhi.di'-d  in  isl  I.  nt  the  .ti/e  t.f  -.•\.-.niv 
years. " 

Captain  Salter  was  engjigeil  in  furuign  i-ommeree  before 
the  Revolution.  He  onw  left  this  |)ort  for  Kngland  on 
a  vej»rtel  in  which  was  a  large  number  of  Imxes  of  8{)anish 


20  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

dollars.  Encountering  a  storm  about  Christmas  time,  he 
was  driven  on  the  rocks  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec 
River.  His  vessel  was  gotten  off  somewhat  damaged, 
and  he  went  into  a  neighboring  harbor,  where  he  was 
compelled  to  remain  until  March.  During  all  this  time 
he  was  unable  to  send  a  communication  to  or  receive  a 
word  from  Portsmouth,  and  no  notice  of  the  disaster  was 
received  there  until  the  vessel  arrived  at  London.  At 
that  time  there  was  no  communication  along  the  coast 
except  such  as  was  made  by  vessels. 

One  event  in  the  early  life  of  Captain  Salter,  although 
not  of  much  importance,  shows  his  calculating  cast  when 
a  boy.  A  stranger  of  some  show  and  bluster  one  day 
called  at  Frame's  Point,  and,  desirous  of  visiting  New 
Castle,  asked  the  boy  to  row  him  down.  Nothing  was 
said  about  pay,  and  so  the  young  ferryman,  to  test  his 
liberality,  landed  him  on  Goat  Island  on  the  way.  The 
man  supposing,  as  the  boy  wished  he  should,  that  he  had 
reached  New  Castle,  jumped  on  shore.  Bowing  to  the 
lad,  he  said,  as  he  ascended  the  beach,  ''  I  shall  pay  you 
when  we  meet  in  town  some  day."  The  boat  was  put  off 
speedily.  The  stranger  looking  around  soon  discovered 
himself  the  sole  inhabitant  of  the  little  island,  and  called, 
''Young  man,  come  back!"  The  cautious  boatman, 
however,  with  a  "  Perhaps  we  shall  meet  in  town  some 
day,"  left  him,  a  Robinson  Crusoe  on  his  Juan  Fernandez. 

In  June,  1787,  John  Salter  and  Richard  S.  Tibbits 
signed  a  petition  to  the  General  Court  complaining  of  the 
duties  on  imports.  On  December  10,  1799,  John  Salter 
signed  another  petition  to  incorporate  St.  John's  Lodge 
in  Portsmouth.  Captain  Salter  built  the  house  in  Wash- 
ington Street,  Portsmouth,  where  he  lived  many  years. 

In  the  Cotton  burying-ground  are  monuments  to  the 


JOHN     S  A  L  T  K  R  ,     MAUI  N  I :  R  .  21 

memory  of  .lolm  Sultt-r,  :ii;('«l  scvcnty-tlireo  Vf;irs,  and 
Jaiu"  Saltrr,  aLrr<l  ci^lity-itMc  vcars. 

.I:i!H'  Frost  aj>pari'ntly  had  a  lovor  in  the  ( 'niitiiimtal 
Army  in  tlu'  siege  of  Bt>ston,  in  1775,  and  ki'j>t  one  letter 
fnmi  him  in  the  family  Rii)l('.  Jane  was  eighteen,  and 
her  sister  Dorothy  sixteen.  Samnel  Haven  was  expeetetl 
to  forwjinl  letters  from  Clarissa  to  Lysiinder.  As  we 
hear  no  inoreai>out  I'hiladel})hia  militia  armed  with  toma- 
hawks, we  fear  that  Lysander  must  have  been  killed  in 
the  Revolution.  .lane  Frost  did  not  seem  disposed  to 
marrv  at  tlii-  [icriod  of  the  war.  She  certainly  had  no 
interest  in  dohn  Salter,  who  was  livini;  on  his  farm  at 
Salter's  Island,  close  to  her  home  in  Xcw  Castle. 

John  Salter  lost  his  wife  in  177<>,  an<l  two  years  later 
nuirried  l-'Ji/aheth  March,  who  was  thirty-three,  while 
Jane  Frost  was  only  twenty-one,  and  the  "  lovely 
Lucinda  "  nineteen.  Aficr  the  treaty  of  peaee  was  siji^ned, 
Jane  Fn>st  be<"ame  the  third  wife  of  .lolm  Salter,  and 
Don>thy  married  James  .lewelt. 

New  Castle  wa.s  the  s<'ene  of  the  tirst  important  ajigres- 
sive  armetl  action  of  the  Revolutionary  patriots.  liefore 
Paul  Revere — the  ori;;inal  Roii^h  Rider — made  his 
famous  ride  to  L^'xin^ton  and  ( 'on<-ord,  he  had  taken 
a  much  loup-r  our,  if  not  so  celebrated.  Dei-cinber 
13,  1771,  he  nnle  express  from  lloston  to  Portsmouth, 
di'j«|»;itche<i  by  the  Boston  (  ornmittee  of  Safety.  The 
next  day  thr  Portsmouth  S)ns  of  LilnTty,  with  the 
|Mitriots  of  New  Castle,  in  all  alK)Ut  \CH),  under  command 
of  Major  .lohn  Sullivan,  pr(K'<'e«Jeil  to  tin.'  ft>rt  and  car- 
ried off  one  liundrtnl  barrels  of  gunpowder.  Most  of  it 
waa  u.h<h|  at  Hunker  II ill.  Trevelyan  xiys  thev  also 
carne<l  away  in  broad  dayli>;ht  sixteen  <>:innon. 

Ly.santler  writes,  July   2«>th,  when  Gage   was  in   com- 


22  JOHN    SALTER     MARINER. 

mand  in  Boston  and  expecting  the  flour  that  Titus  Salter 
seized  in  the  Prince  George  (the  "base  wretches"  were 
probably  the  officers  in  the  New  Castle  fort)  : 

To  Miss  Jenny  Frost  In  Newcastle 

My  last  was  committed  to  the  care  of  a  worthy  Clergy- 
man and  I  hope  got  safe  to  hand  but  not  a  word  from 
Clarissa  yet !  Why  may  not  Lysander  be  gratified  with 
intelligence  how  and  where  she  and  the  lovely  Lucinda 
(her  sister  D)  have  spent  these  last  2  months.  Can  they 
be  taken  up  so  much  with  their  last  winters  acquaintance, 
their  minds  so  much  engrossed  with  the  Company  and 
Conversation  of  their  new  friends  as  to  forget  and  neglect 
their  former  ones  ?  However  amiable  these  Gentlemen 
may  be  in  their  private  Character  Heaven  forbid  any 
Daughter  of  America  should  treat  them  with  even  com- 
mon civility  so  long  as  their  professed  design  of  being 
here  is  the  unnatural  unrighteous  and  disgraceful  Business 
they  are  now  upon  ;  but  if  you  are  yet  at  your  own  Home 
you  will  say  your  situation  is  peculiarly  difficult,  that 
there  must  be  a  free  Complaisance  even  to  such  base 
Wretches.  I  acknowledge  it  my  lovely  friends  and  can 
say  no  more  ;  the  Ladies  I  know  will  raise  many  scruples 
about  writing  to  the  Gentlemen  but  can  there  be  any  im- 
propriety in  an  epistolary  Correspondence  with  One  who 
has  been  as  it  were  of  your  own  family  and  whom  you 
have  so  long  honour'd  with  your  acquaintance  but  perhaps 
the  most  material  Objection  will  be  the  unsteadiness  of  my 
Abode  ;  by  way  of  reply  would  say  I  generally  leave 
word  at  the  place  I  leave  where  I  expect  to  make  my  next 
Stage  and  I  doubt  not  but  any  letter  so  directed  to  me 
would  find  me.  A  letter  left  with  Mr.  Saml  Haven  I 
should  hope  to  receive.     I  perceive  that  the  Curiosity  of 


JUIIN     SAl/lKK,     MARINKR.  23 

many  Ladies  hius  s<)  far  oven'omr  the  timitlity  s«»  natiinil 
to  your  Si'X  as  to  iiultur  thorn  to  visit  tlu'  Army,  Imt 
tilings  art'  in  sncli  a  confiisM  state  as  to  afford  hardly  any 
Acconuu(Klations. 

We  have  nothing;  very  special,  iuit  I  will  j^ive  yon  the 
princi|Mil  news.  One  Company  of  riflemen  consisting  of 
107  who  left  I'cnnsylvania  the  1st  ins  arrived  yesterday. 
\\'hat  I  ohserved  p«'cidiar  in  them  I  shall  just  mention  viz 
their  fnx-k  with  a  kind  of  ('ape,  their  Indian  Sto<'kinpj 
ii.sinj;  a  Tomahawk  and  not  a  IJayonet  anil  their  ritle  gun. 

We  iiad  a  Regular  come  in  who  desertc<l  from  the 
enon)ies  Lines  at  Charlestown  this  morning.  Letters  have 
been  lately  receiv'd  from  the  Selectmen  of  Boston  yet  in 
timt  town  by  their  Brethren  ont  i)urporting  that  there  are 
2(K)  |>ersons  in  the  Almshouse.  .{Oof  them  so  bad  as  not 
to  be  able  to  be  mov'd,  that  (iage  wants  to  be  rid  of  them 
and  will  furnish  water  carriage  for  their  removal. 

Application  Iuls  been  made  with  success  for  the  Salem 
Hospital  and  I  suj)pii.-e  after  obtaining  the  a|)probation 
of  the  (len.  Court  they  will  be  transported  there.  Have 
ju-it  been  to  Corporal  Frost's  Tent  and  found  him  retail- 
ing a  little  of  the  goinl  creauture  to  chear  the  spirits  of 
liis  fellow  soldiers.  He  had  just  receiv'd  a  Letter  from 
his  Sinter  Nabby  and  told  me  they  were  all  well  ;  d(K>s  the 
txlucation  of  the  Youth  still  go  on  ".'  what  is  become  of 
my  8ue*"eHsor  ?  is  the  plan  of  my  former  agreeable  re.si- 
denee  entirely  fon<aketi  ?  a  thousand  things  I  want  to 
know  ;  pray  infr)rni  the  anxiotis 

Lysa.ndkk. 

July  2»>.      We<Ines<lay  Kveg  ^  pust  10  o'eloek. 

P.  S.  Our  soMiers  won' order' d  sevonil  Nights  within 
this  week  to  l>e  on  th«'  {Kinule  before  day  and  some  Nights 
to  lie  on  their  arms  but  wc  have  iiad  no  alarm. 


24  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER, 


Children  of  Captain  John  Salter,  Mariner. 

John,  born  January  20,  1779  ;  died  February  25,  1781 
(infant). 

Joseph  March,  born  April  18,  1781  ;  died  October, 
1837.  Married  Sarah  Frost  March  3,  1806.  His  son 
Joseph  was  in  the  Navy,  and  died  in  Columbus,  Miss. 

Dorothy,  born  August  29,  1782  ;  died  in  1853.  Mar- 
ried John  Frost  October  30,  1826. 

Elizabeth,  born  June  22,  1784  ;  died  October  24,  1808 
(buried  in  Cotton  burying-ground).  Married  W.  H. 
Wilkins. 

William,  born  January  23,  1787  ;  died  September  25, 
1849  (buried  in  Cotton  burying-ground).  Married  Mary 
Ewen.  They  had  five  children  :  William,  Mary,  Ben- 
jamin, Frances,  and  Charles. 

John,  born  July  5,  1788  ;  died  January  10,  1858. 
Married  Sarah  Tibbits. 

Maria  Jane,  born  June  20,  1790.  Married  Samuel 
Cushman,  member  of  Congress  from  New  Hampshire. 

Sarah  Ann,  born  February  6,  1 794  ;  died,  unmarried, 
in  Portsmouth,  October  18,  1876. 

Benjamin  Salter,  born  April  6,  1792,  in  Washington 
Street,  Portsmouth.  He  attended  the  academy  opened 
by  Ilev\  Timothy  Aldeu,  Jr.,  in  1806,  and  at  an  exhibi- 
tion, September  23,  1807,  he  gave  a  Greek  oration. 
Harriet  C.  Tibbits  appears  on  the  programme  as  Leonora 
in  ''  The  Little  Needle-woman,"  and  as  the  Shop-girl 
Nancy  in  "  Mrs.  Dumford,  the  Milliner."  On  the  same 
programme  are  the  names  of  Hall  J.  Tibbits,  Sarah  Tib- 
bits, Dorothy  Salter,  and  the  three  sisters,  Elizabeth, 
Maria  Jane,  and  Sarah  Ann.     Benjamin  Salter  went  to 


J  O  n  S     S  A  L T  K  K  ,    M  A  K  1  N  K  K  .  2') 

Exctor  Aauleiny,  i^niduattHl  at  Howdoin  Coliegt'  iu  IHI  1, 
anil  tnivt'lK'tl  in  Eiiropo  in  1X15.  Hr  rotiinu'd  al)()iit 
Cliristinas  with  a  lot  of  toys  lie  had  bought  on  s|M'<-nhi- 
tion.  I'ht'  followinLT  vcar  he  went  into  business  with  his 
hrotht'i*  William  in  FavcttcvilK-,  X.  ('.  The  lirni  was 
oui'  of  the  tirst  in  the  eountrv  to  ship  eotton  to  Europe. 
For  awhile  he  was  President  of  the  United  Slates  Branch 
Hank  at  Fayctteville.  Iveturning  to  New  York  in  182o, 
his  name  appears  as  one  of  the  founders  of  tiie  Chureh  of 
the  Messiah.  He  was  married  August  23,  1821,  by  Hev. 
Nathan  I'arker,  to  Harriet  Chase  Tibbits,  and  went  in  a 
chaise  on  a  bridal  tour  to  Exeter.  liater  in  the  season  he 
starleil  for  l-'ayetteville,  and  was  a  month  driving  there. 
Mails  wer«'  slow  in  those  days,  and  on  one  (x'casioii  a  ship 
arrived  in  the  night  bringing  him  information  that  cotton 
had  risen.  'J'he  next  morning  he  rushed  f)Ut  before  break- 
fast and  bought  all  the  cotton  in  town.  P.rnjamin  Salter 
<lied  in  New  York,  Se|)t<'mlK>r  S,  IHoS.  Harriet  Tibbits 
S;ilter  tlied  in  New  York  November  1,  1872.  (Jeorge 
Salter  dietl  in  Washington,  August  15,  181)5.  They  were 
all  biirit  d  in  the  I'ortsmouth  ( 'emctcrw 


Cim.DRF.N  OK  nK.N.IAMI.S  SaLTKU   AM>   HaKKIKT 

TimuTs  Saltki:. 

Mary,  married  by  Kev.  Orville  Hewey.  P.  1>.,  <  >ctober 
29,  18  lo,  t..  Uichnnl  (J.  Porter. 

Jane,  niarrieil  by  liev.  Samuel  ()sgoo<l,  1>.I>..  Ni.vtin- 
l>er  22,  185 1,  to  Samuel  W.  Thomas. 

(Jeoi^e,  married  by  Rev.  Samuel  <)sg<M>d,  1>.  !>..  .lan- 
uary  14,  1H5H,  to  Mar)-  E.  Ke<'ler. 

Caroline,  nmrrit^l  to  Mareelo  M.  I)elgado.  Ajirii  22, 
1861. 


26  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

William,  married  by  Rev.  Henry  AV.  Bellows,  D.D., 
May  18,  1872,  to  Georgianua  Harrison. 

Harriet,  married  by  Rev.  O.  B  Frothingham,  Feb- 
ruary 26,  1875,  to  J.  Freeman  Howard. 

Albert,  married  June  21,  1877,  by  Bishop  Niles,  of 
New  Hampshire,  to  Frances  Philbrook. 

Three  children  died  in  infancy  :  William  and  Frances, 
each  fourteen  months  old,  buried  in  Cotton  Cemetery, 
and  Harriet,  fourteen  days  old,  buried  in  the  Hudson 
Street  Cemetery,  New  York. 


Grandchildren  of  Benjamin  Salter  and  Harriet 
Chase  Tibbits, 

Frank  Porter,  married  Emma  Hobart  and  Ida  Stow. 

Harry  Porter,  married  Virginia  Raney. 

Edward  Porter,  married  Josie  Wakefield. 

Elizabeth  Porter,  married  George  Ruge. 

William  Porter,  married  Effie  Walker. 

Richard  Porter. 

Rodman  Porter,  died  January  18,  1881. 

Frank  Thomas,  married  Estelle  Claremont. 

Robert  Thomas,  married  Mary  Fletcher  and  Louise 
Shaw. 

Agnes  Thomas,  married  Wilmot  Townsend. 

Wesley  Bray  Salter,   ^ 

Jasper  Colton  Salter,  V  children  of  George  Salter. 

Mabel  C.  Salter,  j 

Huldah  Jenness  Salter,  daughter  of  Albert  Salter. 

May  Florence  Salter,  daughter  of  William  T.  Salter, 
died  July  13,  1886. 


P  K  P  P  K  R  R  K  L  L  .  27 

CJkka  r(;i;AM'<  iiii.DiiKN  ok  Bkn-Jamin  Sai.iki:  am> 

IlAUIJItrr  ClIASK  TlBHITW. 

CliiKirfii  of  Frank  I'ori*  r  :  IMimmd  Hol)art,  Frances 
luHlinai),  aixl  Marietta. 

(liiKlrtn  of  Harry  I'ortt-r  :  Harriet  Fraiurs,  Mary 
Tibhits,  Virjjinia  IvJiiioy,  Ilichanl,  f^lizahotli  Lamar,  and 
(iillHTt  lUxlmaii. 

CliiMreii  of  Fdwanl  I'orttr  :  Ftliel,  KtluanI  JJaniard, 
.lo-sephine,  and  lOlcanor  Wakefield. 

C'|jildrein)f  Klizaheth  Porter  linire  :  Ilernian,  Karncst, 
h^lwiii  Weed,  and  (  >liv»'. 

Children  of  William  Porter  :  Mary,  Richard,  Walker, 
an<l  I><'ila. 

Children  of  Aj^nes  Thomas  Townsend  :  Snsana  Bell 
and  Janet  Salter. 

(  hildren  of  Knhert 'riiorna>  :  N'ir-^Mnia  Fletcher,  Kuhy 
Lonise,  and  Ruth. 


PKPPl.RKl.LL. 

Kverett  Pe|)|x;rell  Wheeler  sjjys  : 

"Colonel  Pe|)|)errell,  a  nativoof  Devonshire,  P'n^land, 
\v:lh  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  aj;e,  withont  resources  of 
aov  kind  except  his  own  indomitahle  eounij^e.  lie  came 
frvm  Kn^^land  dnrin^  the  rt?i^;n  of  William  an«l  Mary, 
and  was  apprentice*!  to  the  (*:iptain  of  a  ti-^hin^  schoon(>r 
ciu|)Ioye«l  on  the  coast  of  Newfoniulland.  When  he 
finishnl  \\\»  term  of  service  he  t4M>k  tip  his  alM»de  on  the 
I»le«  of  Shoals,  at  that  time  inhaliited  liy  tishermen,  who 
souj^ht  them»  lonely  isles  for  security  from  the  Indiana, 
and  who  found  in  their  adventurous  trade  the  means  of 


28  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

earning  a  livelihood,  and  in  one  instance  at  least  the 
means  of  acquiring  the  beginnings  of  a  fortune. 

''The  Colonel  had  three  sisters  probably  with  him  at 
the  Shoals,  which  had  a  population  at  one  time  of  six  hun- 
dred, supported  an  able  minister,  and  sent  two  delegates 
to  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts. 

''After  the  Colonel  married  and  settled  at  Kittery,  about 
1680,  a  garrison  house  was  erected  and  maintained  at  the 
Point,  to  which  families  might  resort  when  threatened  by 
sudden  assaults  from  Indians,  and  as  early  as  1700  a  fort 
was  erected  which  went  by  his  name.  Colonel  Church, 
in  1704,  had  orders  to  send  his  sick  and  wounded  to  Pep- 
perrell's  Fort.  In  1714  the  province  of  Massachusetts 
made  Kittery  Point  a  port  of  entry,  and  erected  a  fort, 
with  six  guns.  Pepperrell  had  command  of  this  fort, 
also  a  company  of  militia,  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel." 


Maegery  Bray. 

Kittery  obtained  a  charter  in  1647,  and  about  1660 
John  Bray,  ship-builder  from  Plymouth,  County  of 
Devon,  England,  arrived  at  the  Piscataqua,  bringing 
with  him  his  wife,  Joanna,  and  his  daughter,  Margery, 
a  year  old. 

King  Philip's  war  broke  out  in  1675,  and  on  the  re- 
turn of  peace  John  Bray  was  able  to  extend  his  business 
upon  a  large  and  lucrative  scale.  Ship-building,  which 
he  followed  during  a  long  life,  was  an  early  and  an  ex- 
tensive branch  of  industry  on  the  Piscataqua.  It  was 
rendered  particularly  profitable  by  the  policy  of  the  home 
government  which  favored  ship-building  more  than  any 
other  trade,   insomuch  that  the  ship  carpenters  on  the 


Col.   William    Pepperrell 


r  K  r  V  K  K  K  K  L  L  .  29 

Tliaiiu's  compIaiiuHl  in  1721  that  tlu'ir  Imsiiu'ss  was  hurt 
ttiitl  thfir  \V(»rkiiK'ii  eini^rattil,  cansnl  hy  th<>  Imilditii;  nf 
so  many  vessels  in  New  Knphuul. 

Marijery  ha<l  arrived  at  the  age  of  seventeen  when  she 
first  siiw  C'oU)nel  Pepperrell,  who,  smitten  witli  her 
yonthfnl  eharms,  was  not  slow  in  making  his  impressions 
known  ;  hut  he  was  so  poor  that  Margery  would  not 
listen  to  him,  ami  the  prosperous  ship-l)nil(ler  di<l  not 
favor  the  young  tisherman  froiu  Appledorc  However, 
in  a  few  years,  l»y  his  industry  and  frugality,  he  ae»juired 
enough  to  send  out  a  hrig,  wliieh  he  loa<li'd  to  Hull,  Kng- 
land.  liy  this  timi'  Margery  was  out  of  her  teens,  and 
her  fatlnT  gavr  his  consent.  They  were  marrietl  and 
built  the  I'ei)jMTrell  mansion  at  Kittery,  which  is  still 
u.st'd  :us  a  dwelling-house.  In  the  next  half  century  the 
largest  fortune  then  known  in  New  Kngland  was  aecu- 
mulatt^l  in  this  house. 

Colonel  I\'p|>erreirs  letters  to  his  cjiptains  are  written 
in  a  gixxl  haml  : 

•  PaseatiUjua  1  day  May  1 7 !"_'  John  \'cimard  you 
hceing  now  master  of  ye  sloupe  Mirnim  now  riding  in  ve 
harhor  of  I*as<'ata»iua  hy  Otxl's  grace  hound  to  Antego 
my  t)nler  is  for  you  to  imhrace  ye  first  fare  wind  ( Jod 
shall  s«'n«l  and  siiile  dereetly  for  Ant«'go  and  heing  thare 
arrive*!  my  onler  is  ft)r  you  to  adres  your  selfe  to  Mr 
Anthony  Mountert)  and  to  him  deleavre  my  letters  and 
giMxls." 

"  ( 'ojiey  of  this  1  reed  which  hy  (nni's  assistance  I 
iutend  to  follow."      Sign«*<l 

.loii.v  Vkxnakd. 

(*ol«)ncl  i*ep|MTrcll  tdiicat'd  his  children  in  the  hest 
manner  the  time  and  place  |H'nnitli'<l  : 

.Vmlrrw,    Ijorn   .lulv    1.    1«;*<1.      .Marrieii   .lane    Klliot. 


30  JOHN"    SALTER,    MARINER. 

They  had  two  daughters  :  Sarah,  married  Charles  Frost ; 
Margery,  married  William  Wentworth.  When  Andrew 
died  his  widow  married  another  Charles  Frost. 

Mary,  born  September  5,  1685. 

Margery,  born  in  1689,  married  Peletiah  Whitemore 
and  Elihu  Gunnison. 

Joanna,  born  June  22,  1692.  Married  George  Jackson. 

Miriam,  born  September  3,  1694.  Married  Andrew 
Tyler. 

William,  born  June  27,  1696.     Married  Mary  Hirst. 

Dorothy,  born  July  23,  1698.  Married  Andrew 
Watkinsand  Joseph  Newmarch. 

Jane,  born  in  1701.  Married  Benjamin  Clark  and 
William  Tyler  (another  case  of  two  sisters  marrying  two 
brothers). 

William  Pepperrell,  who  married  Mary  Hirst,  March 
16,  1723,  was  the  leading  merchant  of  New  England,  and 
by  his  great  popularity  obtained  the  command  of  the  ex- 
pedition against  Louisburg,  with  four  thousand  men.  In 
1747  he  visited  England,  and  was  greeted  by  King  and 
people  as  the  hero  of  Louisburg.  He  was  made  a  Baronet 
for  his  services,  and  appointed  Lieutenant-General  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1759.  During  the  latter  part  of  his  life  he  was 
the  most  prominent  man  in  America,  George  Warshington 
alone  excepted. 

The  following  notice  of  our  grandmother's  death  ap- 
peared in  the  Boston  Post  Boy : 

"  Kittery,  April  30,  1741.  Last  Friday,  after  a  short 
illness,  dej)arted  this  life,  and  this  day  was  decently  in- 
terred. Madam  Margery  Pepperrell*  of  this  place,  in  the 
eighty-first  year  of  her  age.  She  was  born  in  Plymouth, 
in  Old  England,  came  hither  with  her  parents  in  infancy, 
who  left  their  native  country  for  the  free  enjoyment  of 


LieutenantGenersI  Sir  William   Pepperrel 


\ 


rKPl'KKRKLL.  'M 

their  relipimis  principles.  She  was,  through  the  whole 
eoiirse  oi  her  life,  very  exetnplarv  for  uimfTei-tc<l  j)iety 
and  amial^le  virtues,  esj)ecially  her  charity,  her  courteous 
afTability,  her  pnulence,  meekness,  patience,  and  her  un- 
weariui'ss  in  well-<loi!i^.  As  it  jtleased  <  lod  to  afford  her 
worldiv  advaiitajrt's  and  a  large  c.ipacitv  for  <h)inp  go«Kl, 
9*1  she  improved  tiiem  to  the  honor  of  iicxl  and  the  service 
of  her  generation — heing  charitahle  without  ostentation, 
and  making  it  her  constant  rule  to  d(»  go«Ml  to  all  as  she 
had  opportunity.  She  was  not  only  a  loving  and  discreet 
wife  and  tender  ])an'nt,  hut  a  sincere  friend  to  all  her 
acquaintances.  She  hath  left  hehind  her  one  son  and  five 
<langhters  and  many  gnindchildren,  who  rise  up  and  call 
her  blessed.  She  was  justly  esteemeil  while  living,  and 
at  death  a>  much  regretted.  As  she  lived  a  life  of  faith 
and  constant  obedience  to  the  Crospol,  so  she  died  with 
great  inward  peace  and  conifort,  and  the  most  <'heerfid 
n^ignation  to  the  will  of  (Jod," 

Colonel  IVpperrell  held  the  otlice  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace  from  1690  to  172o.  In  171")  he  and  Charles  Frost 
were  appointed  .Tiidges  of  the  Court  of  Common  Phais. 
Augu.st  l<i^  IT.iU,  Colonel  Pepperrell  writes  Thomas 
Salter,  enclosing  account  sales  for  two  hundred  and 
niiH'ty  pounds :  "  I  do  not  desire  to  keep  any  man's  money. 
I  shall  |xiy  ye  money  down  (»r  give  oniers  for  it  at  Boston. 
Am  ufruiil  to  come  to  Hoston  forfrareof  ye  small  p«»cks." 
Colonel  IVpjwrroll  die<l  February  1"),  IT.'M,  aged  eighty- 
seven  ye:»rs,  and  left  each  of  his  six  daughters  five  hun- 
dred {>ounds.  His  two  sons,  .Andrew  and  William, 
carried  on  the  !umlH>r  business,  lus  ap|>ears  by  the  h'tter 
of  Major-Genenil  Hnidstn'ct.  tJovernor  of  Newfound- 
land, who  dii>il  ill  Nfw  ^'nrk  in   177t. 


32  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

St  John  May  29,  1748 
Dear  Sir 

This  is  the  first  oppertunity  which  has  offerd  this 
spring  for  New  England  wch  I  embrace  with  great 
pleasure  ;  first  to  assure  you  of  my  sincere  regards  as  also 
to  let  you  see  I  hold  my  good  friend  always  in  remem- 
brance. The  two  letters  you  wrote  me  from  Louisburg 
last  fall  1  rec'd  and  fully  answered  in  a  few  days  after 
wch  no  doubt  you  have  rec'd.  As  to  publick  news  shall 
not  troble  you  with  any  as  what  we  have  hear  is  of  no 
shorter  time  than  the  beginning  of  April  which  no  doubt 
you  must  have  had.  We  look  for  the  ffleet  in  every  day 
from  England.  On  the  24  inst  brocke  out  a  fire  in  this 
Town  which  has  consumed  to  the  value  of  twenty  thousand 
pounds  sterling  and  had  not  the  wind  favor'd  us  greatly 
the  whole  town  must  have  been  Burnt  Down  ;  if  Brother 
Andrew  has  any  Lumber  Vessels  he  cannot  send  them 
here  in  a  better  time  than  this  for  their  is  not  any  in  the 
Harbor  and  is  greatly  wanted.  I  am  at  work  watching 
the  motion  of  the  ffrench  on  the  North  part  of  this  Island 
where  they  carry  on  a  fishery  I  am  not  without  hopes  of 
ouer  having  a  trick  at  them  this  summer  if  they  come  their. 

I  suppose  now  you  will  be  quite  easey  with  regard  to 
the  affairs  of  your  regiment  as  you  are  so  greatly  better' d 
in  your  Liut.-Colo.  I  hope  you  have  had  a  plesent 
winter  and  that  your  Lady  Pepperrell  and  family  have 
injoyd  perfect  health.  My  wife  has  been  as  bad  as  any 
person  could  be  for  this  two  months  past  but  thank  God 
she  is  recovering  and  joins  with  me  in  our  sincer  com- 
plements to  you  and  your  Lady  and  family.  I  am  with 
the  greatest  sincerity  and  regard  sir  your  Most  Obedtand 
most  humble  Servt  Jno  Bradstreet. 

The  Honble  Sir  Willm  Pepperrell  Bart. 


Mir.     Rr;i.     Pernerrell 


FROST  33 


NKIH) LAS    FHOST. 

Ni<liula>  I'rost  was  horn  al»oiit  loSo,  in  Tiverton, 
Devonsliiiv,  Kiii;lan»l,  and  wlu-n  forty-Hvo  years  old 
marrie«l  Hertlia  Cailwalla,  ai^ed  twenty  years.  They 
arrivtd  at  Litth'  Ilarhor  in  Jnne,  HJ.'>1,  and  l!IIiot, 
.Maine,  in  KJ.'^tJ.  Xichohis  I'nist  was  a  fanner,  t'sttcnied 
a  triistwt»rthy,  ju<lieinns  citizen,  and  appointed  eon.-tahh-  in 
1«IJ<».  Octohor  H),  1<)4!»,  he  wjuj  on  the  ^nind  jury  that 
met  at  (ior<:eana.  Iledied  .Inly  "JO,  KW;.'*,,  Uavinir  tivt'«'hii- 
dren  :   John,  Xiehohis,  ( 'atharine,  Kli/ahcth,  and  ( "iiarhs. 

The  latter,  horn  in  TivtM-tuii,  .liil\  .'><>,  l(i;51,  n-- 
et'ived  the  hoinestratl  and  live  hnmln-d  acres  of  land. 
The  howling  of  wolves  aronnd  his  father's  cahin  was 
ins  evcnlnjj  entertainment,  and  from  the  neighhoring  hill- 
top hi-  niornini;  vision  eonld  survey  the  cnrlini;  smoke 
arisinj;  from  the  numerous  Imlian  viilaj^eson  the  trihntary 
stream  of  the  Piseatacjna.  The  savaije  yell  and  war- 
whoop  awakened  no  fearful  throhhings  in  liis  youthful 
iieart,  hut  rather  s<^rved  to  enkindle  a  zeal  for  (hiring  and 
lieroie  achi<'vements.  He  early  evinced  a  fondness  for 
military  exereis<s  and  j)ar:ides,  ami  Ixing  enrolled  as  a 
sohlier  at  sixteen  he  gnidnally  ros«'  through  sueeosive 
grades  to  he  eommander-in-chief  of  the  militia  of  Maine, 
ihe  Major  l)o<*ame  a  distinguished  man  in  civil  and 
military  live.  Maine  heing  a  provirwe  of  Massj|c|i(i>M-ttM, 
he  was  chosen  to  represent  it  at  the  (Jenerui  (.'oiirt  in 
1058,  when  he  was  twenty-six  years  of  age.  He  hehl 
the  oftioo  five  years,  and  in  \(WJ  he  was  s<Mit  again  and 
phu^ni  in  command  of  six  companies  of  Maine  militia. 
He  e<>mmande<l  a  ("omiMiny  in  King  Philip's  war,  which 
hroke  out  in  KJTo,  and  for  two  years  was  actively  engage*! 

3 


34  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

in  fighting  the  ludiaus,  who  had  burnt  a  vast  number  of 
houses  on  the  Piscataqua  and  killed  two  hundred  and 
sixty  settlers.  King  William's  war  began  in  1688,  and 
raged  with  great  fury.  August  23,  1689,  in  the  reign  of 
William  and  Mary,  Charles  Frost,  was  appointed  Major 
of  the  military  forces  of  the  province.  In  1693  the  war 
raged  with  increased  barbarity,  and  continued  until  his 
death,  July  4,  1697,  within  a  mile  of  his  dwelling. 

Colonel  Pepperrell  writes  to  Captain  Hill  at  Saco,  No- 
vember 12,  1696  :  ''  T  think  it  may  be  safer  and  better 
to  bend  her  sails  before  you  launch  her  so  as  to  leave 
immediately,  for  Sir  it  will  be  dangerous  tarrying  there 
on  account  of  hostile  savages  in  the  vicinity.  I  send  you  a 
barrel  of  rum  and  there  is  a  cask  of  wine  to  launch  with." 

Joseph  Storer  writes  from  Wells  :  ''It  hath  pleased 
God  to  take  away  Major  Frost.  The  Indens  waylad  him 
last  Sabbath  day  as  he  was  cominge  whom  from  meetting 
at  niffht  ;  and  killed  him  and  John  Heards  wife  and 
Denes  Downing  and  John  Heard  is  wounded.  Mistress 
Frost  is  very  full  of  sory  and  all  her  children  Cousin 
Charles  and  John  was  with  their  father  and  escaped 
wonderfully." 

Two  hundred  years  later  a  tablet  was  erected  in 
memory  of  Major  Frost,  and  an  address  delivered  by 
Rev.  William  Salter,  D.D.,  of  Burlington,  Iowa. 

Major  Frost  married  Mary  Bolles,  of  Wells.  Her 
father  is  mentioned  in  the  will  of  John  Bolles,  of  St. 
James,  Clerkenwell,  Middlesex,  dated  July  1,  1665  :  ''  I 
given  unto  my  brother,  Joseph  Bolles,  living  in  New 
England,  three  hundred  pounds." 

Joseph  Bolles  was  town  clerk  of  Wells,  1654  to  1664, 
and  his  house  was  burned  by  the  savages,  and  volume  one 
of  the  town  records  destroyed,  so  Mistress  Frost  must 


FROST.  as 

havi'  hatl  some  sjul  ex|K*ritMioes  with  the  liormrsof  Indian 
warfare  tlurin^  a  loni;  life.  Majt»r  Frost  «lir<l  in  Felmi- 
ary,  1G7S,  ai^ud  scvrnty  years,  leaving  a  lari,'«'  estati"  to 
his  widow,  who  died  in  Xoveniher,  1701,  to  six  dan^hters  : 
Sarah,  Ahij^ail,  Mehitahh\  Lydia,  Mary,  and  KlizalM'th, 
and  thret*  sons  :  CharU's  (who  had  ten  children)  :  Nicholas 
(who  left  a  widow  autl  two  children),  ami  Jolm. 

]I<  IN.    .IdllN     I'kost 

^^'as  horn  March  1.  1«j81,  and  whih'  a  hoy  with  a 
loaded  musket  watched  for  Indians  while  hi-  father 
worked  on  the  farm.  ( )n  one  occasion  an  alarm  wa> 
^iveii  and  the  house  was  surrounded  l»v  sjiva;x«'^i  who 
were  tinally  driven  off.  .lohu  escjiped  wond<'rfullv,  as 
the  record  says,  returning;  from  church,  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen years,  when  his  father  was  killed.  When  he  wa.s 
twenty-one  years  of  a^e  he  fell  in  love  with  the  heantifid 
dauii;hter  t>f  ( 'olonel  I'epperrell.  He  was  married  hy  the 
Kev.  Joseph  Hammond,  Septemher  4,  1702,  t»)  Mary  on 
her  seventeenth  hirthday,  and  they  had  seventeen  chil- 
dren. John  Frost  «ommanded  H.  I'».  .M.  friirate  Efhrord 
in  17n!».  He  afterward  pursued  the  profe.s,si((n  of  a  mer- 
chant iu  New  Castle,  wIktc  he  soon  ros<'  to  eminenee, 
h«'lil  a  hiu'h  rank,  Iwcame  wealthy,  was  tnneh  »listin^nishe<l, 
anil  hi|;hly  respecte<l  in  civil  life.  H<'  was  sworn  in  a-  a 
Hoyal  Councillor,  July  2(5,  17_'l,  l>y  onier  of  (teorjje  11.. 
the  sjime  year  as  .lotham  <  >dioruc. 

.Vt  a  criuncil  held  in  l'ort.>^mouth  .July  lo,  1717,  Cap- 
tain John  Frost,  in  command  of  the  ship  lionettti  I'inck, 
complaineij  of  a  pinite  called  Ar  (irauil^  two  hnndnHl 
and  tifty  tons  htirden,  earryinj;  twenty  jruns  and  one 
hundre<I  and  seventy  men.     They  ceiehnitetl  the   Fourth 


36  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

of  July  by  taking  from  him  forty  hogsheads  of  rum, 
several  barrels  of  sugar,  and  a  negro  man — presumably 
to  mix  the  drinks.  The  cargo  came  from  Barbadoes,  and 
was  bound  to  Portsmouth.  All  captains  at  this  time 
brought  slaves  to  New  England. 

In  the  island  referred  to,  in  a  census  taken  by  order  of 
his  Excellency,  Sir  Jonathan  Atkins,  in  1679,  Richard 
Salter  was  reported  as  having  two  hundred  and  seventeen 
acres  of  land,  four  white  servants,  and  one  hundred  and 
twenty  negroes.  There  would  appear  to  be  no  necessity 
for  S0  many  hands  on  a  small  farm  unless  he  was  sup- 
plying the  rich  people  of  New  Castle  with  household 
servants. 

In  the  burying-groiind  at  New  Castle,  close  to  the 
road,  may  be  seen  three  graves,  viz.  : 

''Here  lyes  the  body  of  the  Hon.  John  Frost,  Esq., 
who  departed  this  life  Feb.  25,  1732,  aged  50  years,  11 
mos  and  24  days." 

''Here  lyes  buried  the  body  of  Joseph  Frost,  Esq., 
who  departed  this  life  Sept.  ye  14th,  1768,  aged  50  years 
and  11  months." 

"  Sarah,  widow  of  the  late  Capt.  Richard  S.  Tibbits  and 
youngest  daughter  of  Joseph  and  Margaret  Frost,  aged  85." 

John  Frost's  widow  married  again,  and  died  April  18, 
1766,  aged  eighty  years,  and  was  buried  in  Danvers. 

Joseph  Frost's  widow  married  again,  and  died  July  15, 
1813,  aged  eighty-nine  years,  and  was  buried  in  Somers- 
worth. 

Captain  Tibbits  died  in  the  West  Indies. 

Mary  Pepperrell  Frost  lived  in  elegance  at  New  Castle 
after  her  marriage  in  1702.  Her  best  bed  was  covered 
with  white  tabby  silk.  Her  father  and  husband  were 
rich,  and  she  accumulated  an  enormous  quantity  of  silver 


Hun.    ju'.l.     FfOSt, 

Commanding   H    B    M,  Frigate  "Edward" 


FROST.  87 

for  the  tinios.  TIhto  was  en()ii;;h  to  till  a  lar^jo  ciost't, 
ami  wlu'ii  she  married  aj,^aiii  it  all  went  with  Iht  to 
Boston.  ^^'illiaIn  TvliT  writes  to  Sir  \\'illiam  iNpiK-rp-lI, 
July  5,  174')  :  "  Your  sister  Frost  came  to  town  to  see 
her  son  .Iose|)h  who  was  thoiij^ht  would  have  died  and 
Rev.  Dr.  Colniaii  has  pei-suaded  her  to  e«)ine  and  live 
with  him  and  they  are  to  !>«■  marricil  in  thirtv  days  from 
this  date." 

riie  news  of  the  eaptun-  of  Litiiislmr;;  had  rrathe«l 
IV>ston  two  days  before,  and  a  irtMicrai  illumination  took 
place.  Mary  Pepperrell  Frost  had  heen  a  witlow  thir- 
teen years,  and  was  now  sixty  years  ohl,  twelve  years 
younger  than  Parson  Coleman.  They  were  married  by 
ilev.  Joseph  Sewall,  I>.  1>..  Au^'ust  FJ,  174').  Dr. 
C'olman,  the  first  pastor  of  the  IJnittle  Street  (  hnreh 
was  »tne  of  the  most  distiuijuished  ministers  in  New  Fnj;- 
land.  In  hi:;h  iiitelUn'tual  ridtivation  he  had  hut  few 
etjuals.  To  nature  as  well  as  to  culture  he  was  indelit«Kl 
for  a  most  graceful  antl  winnini;  manner  and  pleasing 
address,  which  constituted  one  of  his  most  distinguishing 
a<-complishmcnts.  Horn  in  l>ost»>n  ()ctol)er  19,  l(j7;t, 
graduated  at  llarvanl  at  nineteen,  he  spent  four  years  in 
]»ndon,  where  he  was  ordaineil  August  4,  1609,  and  at 
once  returned  to  Boston  and  coinmcnci'<l  to  preach.  W*- 
was  invite«l  to  he  i'resident  of  llarvanl  in  17"JI.  '-i"  di-- 
cline*!. 

The  parsonage  must  have  heen  well  st<Mk»il  with  niUrr 
after  the  arrival  of  the  thin!  wife  of  the  |)4»pular  |mrson. 
Wc<lilir»g-gifts  weri'  always  numer«»us  to  the  clergy  in 
eolt>uial  times,  when  they  (x-eupietl  a  nuich  higiuT  |MHi- 
tion  in  j»olitieal  life  than  they  do  nr»w.  His  colleague 
says  :  "  The  music  of  hi><  voi<-e,  the  pmpriety  of  \uh 
accent,  and   the  decency  of  his  gestures  showeil  him  one 


38  JOHN"    SALTER,    MARINER. 

of  the  most  graceful  speakers  of  the  age.  He  composed 
with  great  rapidity  aud  elegance,  and  his  pre-eminent 
talents  in  this  respect  were  in  constant  requisition  to  draft 
letters  and  addresses  from  the  churches  to  the  General 
Court,  the  King  and  his  ministers."  He  married  in 
1700,  when  he  was  twenty-seven  years  old,  Jane  Clark, 
aged  thirty-one  years.     Later  he  married  Sarah. 

Sarali  had  her  trunks  filled  with  spoons,  and  must  have 
been  the  most  fascinating  woman  in  Boston.  Her  charms 
of  person  or  purse  were  such  that  she  was  irresistible. 
Born  September  15,  1672,  Sarah  married  at  twenty-three 
William  Harris,  treasurer  of  the  Brattle  Street  Church,  a 
rich  and  influential  merchant.  After  his  death,  in  1721, 
Sarah  married  the  Hon.  and  Rev.  John  Leverett,  Presi- 
dent of  Harvard,  a  widower.  After  the  death  of  the 
President,  the  Hon.  John  Clarke  appeared,  and  he  was 
united  to  Sarah,  then  forty-three,  by  Parson  Colman. 
John  died,  .and  Sarah,  though  a  year  older  than  the 
parson,  captured  him.  Sarah  died  April  24,  1744,  aged 
seventy-one.  Parson  Colman  lived  only  two  years  after 
his  third  marriage,  dying  August  29, 1747,  aged  seventy- 
four.  On  October  6,  1748,  his  widow  married,  for  the 
third  time.  Judge  Benjamin  Prescott,  and  became  step- 
mother to  her  son  William,  and  her  relatives  for  years 
after  talked  about  the  chests  of  silver-plate  from  the 
parsonage,  contributed  at  so  many  weddings,  that  all 
went  to  Danvers  never  to  return.  Lieutenant-Geueral 
Pepperrell,  who  died  July  6,  1759,  visited  his  sister  at 
her  home  on  his  return  from  Boston  in  the  spring  of  1759. 

Our  grandmother  died  April  18,  1766,  aged  eighty. 


Mary   Pepperroll-Froit-Colman-Prescott 


FKOST.  39 

('lIll.DHKN  OF  .loIlN     I'lioyr  AND  MaUV    I 'r.l'i'KIIUI.M  . 

Mar^tTV,  hin'ii  I'cltniars'   I,    17<il  ;  dird  in  iiifaiifv. 

William,  hnm  Aiij^ust  2n,  17Uo  ;  marrii'<l  Kli/.al)i>th, 
tlaii^htiT  of  lu'v.  Iicnjatiiiu  IVcscott,  wlm  married  his 
niotluT  <  )ct(>l)t'r  0,   17  is. 

dolm,  l)oni  May  TJ,   1701*  ;  married  Sarah  ( Icrri-^li. 

Charles,  horn  Atiirn-t  27,  1710  ;  married  doaniia  daek- 
soii  and  Sarah  daeksoii. 

Mary,  Ixirii  Aiimist  10,   1711   ;  dieil  in  iiifani-y. 

Sandi,  horn  I'\'hrnarv  1,  171.".  ;  mairied  K'.v.  .IkImi 
lUnnt,  of   Now  Castle. 

Miirv,  horn  J'\'hriiarv   hi,    1711  ;  dit<l  in  infaney. 

Andrew,  horn  April  12,   171tl  :   was  many  years  hlind. 

•Joseph,  horn  Septemher  "Ji',  1717  ;  marrie<l  Mariraret 
Colton. 

Ahi^ail,  horn    May  lit),  171!>  ;  not  married. 

(ieor^e,  horn  .Vpril  2il,  1720;  married  an  IjiL'lish 
woman,  and  second  wife  Widow  Smith,  of  I)nrlKun. 

Samuel,  horn  Ani:iist  1!>,  1721   ;  died  in  infaney. 

IJenjanun,  horn  .May  15,  172">  ;  died  in  infaney. 

.lane,  horn   .May  1'),  1725;  marrit-d  Andrew  W'atkins. 

Miriam,  horn  <  )etoher  S,  1722;  married  Klliot  Frost 
and  .Mexander  Kaitt. 

Marv,  horn  didv  2,   172(J  ;  die«l  in  infaney. 

I)orothv,  horn  .Vu^ust  21,  1727  ;  marrinl  (  aptain 
ClifTt.rd,  of  Salenj. 

(Note. — Three  infants  named  .Mary  died.) 

Jolin  Alhee  says  liev.  .luhn  I'dunt  married  into  a 
notahle  family,  whose  name  has  heen  hoiionihl y  a.HritKMate*l 
with  New  Castle  from  ahoiit  17()0.  .Ma<iame  Sandi  llhmt 
wrote    poetrv.       Her.  -i«ters    wen*    e«'|ehn»t«-d    for    their 


40  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

amiability  and  intelligence.     Abigail  died  in  the  splendor 
of  early  womanhood,  January  30,  1742,  aged  twenty-two. 

Released  from  cares  at  rest  she  lies, 

Then  peaceful  slumbers  close  her  eyes. 

Her  faith  all  trials  did  endure 

Like  a  strong  pillar  firm  and  pure. 

Did  adverse  winds  tempestuous  roll 

Hope  was  the  anchor  of  her  soul. 

We  by  the  olive  in  her  hand 

Her  peaceful  end  may  underetand. 

And  by  the  coronet  is  shown         ,  ^ 

Virtue  at  last  shall  wear  the  crown. 


Joseph  Frost. 

Born  September  29,  1717,  died  September  14,  1768. 
He  married  Margaret  Colton,  October  20,  1744,  and  the 
year  following  he  was  so  ill  in  Boston  that  his  mother 
came  to  see  him,  and  a  month  later  gave  him  her  house. 
in  New  Castle,  as  she  had  concluded  to  reside  in  Boston. 

December  9,  1749,  ''  Joseph  Frost,  mariner,  of  New 
Castle,  bought  of  Alec  Clarke's  widow  four  thousand 
acres  of  land  that  she  got  from  Geo.  Davie."  This  deed 
is  witnessed  by  Elizabeth  Prescott,  who  married  William 
Frost,  November  24,  1750  ;  also  by  William  and  George 
Frost,  and  recorded  by  Daniel  Moulton,  in  liber  28.  In 
liber  2,  folio  45,  is  the  record  by  Walter  Phillips  of  the 
sale  of  this  tract  to  George  Davis  by  Nicodeshant  Quese- 
meck  and  Obias  for  the  sum  of  twelve  pounds,  dated 
December  21,  1663,  in  the  ''  15th  year  of  the  reign  of 
our  Lord  King  Charles  the  second  by  the  Grace  of  God 
of  England  Scotland  France  and  Ireland  King  and  de- 
fender of  the  faith."  The  land  is  described  as  lying  on 
the  west  or  north  side  of  Wicheaseke  Bay,  west  or  north 
side  of  Mount  Swedes  Bay. 


COLTON.  41 

COLloN. 

riiniiias  ami  Maruiin-t  IWiss  wiTt-  inarrit'<l  in  l']ni:lan<l, 
\vhi«'h  tlu'V  left  t»ii  afcoimt  of  rt'li^ious  |H'rstHMitioii.  Tliov 
had  >i.\  cliililrt'ii  Itoni  in  l\ii<rlaml  and  four  in  Ainfri<a. 
Tlicir  >on  Lawronre  canif  to  tliis  ronntrv  with  his  fatlur 
in  163o,  and  die<l  in  1  »)"•>.  Hi'  nuirrinl,  ()ctol)or  25, 
|t!'il.  Lydia,  ninetifn  wars  old,  dan^ditrr  of  Saniiicl 
NN'ri^hl,  onr  of  the  first  sottU-rs  in  the  ('(>nntfti«-ut 
X'allev,  at  Sprin^tield,  and  the  M  ri^ht  sort  of  a  wife  fi)r 
colonial  days,  when  every  man  t<M>k  his  pun  tochiirrh  and 
sat  at  the  foot  of  the  i>ew  rcaily  to  nish  to  the  do(»r  when 
the  <;uards  j>osted  outside  iiave  the  alarm.  I\lder  Krewster 
could  preach  and  pray,  luit  never  hesitiited  a  moment 
when  it  liei-.ime  neeess;iry  to  po  on  Indian  c5im|Kiii:ns  and 
tiirht  I  he  sava;^os.  It  was  only  a  <juestion  of  life  or  dtalh, 
and  there  was  no  time  to  lose.  The  Indians  owne<l  the 
country,  and  the  white  folks  wen-  driving'  them  out,  hut 
the  ministers  overlooked  all  questions  of  morals  and  prin- 
ciples when  savages  were  coneerncd.  and  joimnl  their 
parishioners  in  the  fi;;hts. 

The  Deerfield  mass;iore  sent  a  ihrill  (»f  hornir  through- 
out New  Kngland,  Hushand.-.  di<l  not  last  lont;  in  thoso 
terrible  Indian  wars  of  Kin;;  Philip.  Lydia  IkuI  four 
lovers,  married  them  all,  and  died  a  witlow  at  the  aire  of 
>ixty-foiir,  Decemher  17,  ]C,UU.  Her  father  had  l»ecn 
kilhtl  liy  the  Indians  at  Northfield  in  1«>7"».  and  tui 
( )etolM'r  'M,  KITS,  Lydia  married  John  Nort«m.  <  )n 
•lanuary  7,  HJHS,  she  married  Jolui  I*;iml»,  and  on  March 
I,  1692,  it  was  (Ici^rj^  Colton's  op|M)rtunity,  and  he  hud 
rdi>is  for  sevf'U  years,  until  Fehruary  l'-\,  \*VM\  and  then 
for  ten  months  Ly<lia  wa-  '•  f'  -In.,  nifh  her  four  i."'Id 
wiHlding  rinp*. 


42  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

Dr.  Coltou  says  that  our  American  Adam,  George 
Colton,  from  Sutton,  England,  has  honorable  mention  in 
the  Springfield,  Mass.,  town  records  of  1645.  Was  rep- 
resentative in  1669.  Died  February  13,  1699.  Married 
Deborah  Gardner  and  had  five  sods  and  four  daughters. 

Lawrence  Bliss  had  a  sister,  Hannah  Bliss,  who  married 
Thomas  Colton,  son  of  George  Colton.  Lydia  and  Han- 
nah were  sisters-in-law  until  the  fourth  marriage,  when 
Lydia  became  mother-in-law  to  Hannah. 

Margaret  Colton,  daughter  of  Samuel  Colton  and 
Margaret  Bliss,  of  Springfield,  and  great-granddaughter 
of  George  Colton,  the  ancestor  of  all  the  Coltons  of  New 
England,  was  born  April  19,  1724,  and  attended  school 
in  Boston.  Margaret  was  married  at  home  at  the  age  of 
twenty,  and  rode  on  horseback  behind  her  husband  all  the 
way  from  Springfield  to  New  Castle 

Joseph  Frost  died  in  1768,  twenty-four  years  after  his 
marriage.  Margaret  remained  a  widow  twenty-four 
years,  and  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight,  in  1792,  she  married 
Judge  Rollins,  of  Rollinsford,  N.  H.,  who  died  eight 
years  later. 

Our  grandmother  passed  her  childhood  in  a  section  of 
the  country  that  had  witnessed  the  fiercest  Indian  battles 
recorded  in  colonial  times.  Then  she  moved  to  Boston 
during  the  great  excitement  caused  by  the  French  war. 
She  was  visited  by  her  mother-in-law  in  1745,  when 
Joseph  was  ill.  At  that  time  news  had  come  of  the  great 
victory  achieved  by  the  four  thousand  soldiers  raised  in 
New  England,  commanded  by  her  husband's  uncle.  Our 
grandmother  was  in  New  Castle  during  the  Revolution, 
and  probably  had  many  friends  in  the  army.  Reference 
is  made  to  Corporal  Frost  in  the  letter  to  her  daughter 
Jenny.     In  the  war  of  1812   our  grandmother  was  at 


COLTON.  48 

Iu)Hinsf(>rtl,  wImti'  slu*  dictl,  .luly  \'>,  1S1:»,  apnl  eij^lily- 
iiinr. 

ClIlIKKEN  OK  .losKl'll    Fi;nv|-    .\m>   M  A1:<  J  A  ItKT  OjLTON. 

Mariran't,  Itoni  l)icfinl)('r  S,  1717  ;  Au-A  in  ISO'). 
Marrietl  John  NN'oiitworth  and  .lolm  W'aldntii. 

.Iost>j>li,  horn  May  :{.  174;>  ;  died  in  l.s;J<>.  .M:mi.d 
Sarah  Siini)st)n. 

(iconic,  l)orn  NovcniluT  -\,  17')0;  dii'd  in  1808. 
Married  Al)iirail  I ''ell. 

Marv.  Ixtrii  .lamiarv  '_'!»,  17",:!  ;  died  in  ISl'.t.  Married 
Strpinn  Clia-f. 

Miriam,  hnrii   I'fliniarv  11,   17.")")  ;  dii-d  in  17.")»). 

.lane,  Iidiii  Mali  li  17,  17.')7  ;  died  in  18;',7.  Marriid 
.Iol>n  Saitt-r. 

I>iin»tliv,  horn  |-\hrnarv  1^7,  17")'.»  ;  diid  in  1838. 
Married  dames  Jewett. 

Saniiiel,  horn  . January  '2~ ,   17<!0  ;  died  in  l.S"J7. 

Al)ii;ail,  horn  Septeniher  »j,  17t)2  ;  died  in  IS  IS. 

William,  horn  Sopteniher  HJ,  1704  ;  (Ued  at  sea. 

Saraii,  horn  dune  11,  17<ltl  ;  di((l  .lannary  1,  1852. 
Married  Ivieharil  S.  Til)hits. 

<  )nr  L'nindmotljer,  Sarah  Tihltits,  who  \va>  two  years 
old  when  her  father  died,  was  the  last  survivor  of  a  lar^ 
family.  She  and  Ahipiil  Frost  lived  toijcther  many  yt  ars 
in  the  I*leas:int  Street  House,  (»p|Misite  the  hill.  ll<r 
sisttT  Mary  marrieil  Stephen  ( 'has«',  Aj)ril  2S,  1771. 
Their  jjrandson,  Noah  Tihi)its,  has  a  son  of  the  same 
name  livinix  in  iirooklyii. 

.Masson,  in  the  Vankte  AV/ry,  puhlishiHl  in  1898,  says: 
"  Historians  have  randy  «lone  justiee  to  the  stTvie**?*  of 
unr  navy  (hiring;  the  war  of  the  Kevolution.  In  a<ldition 
to  the  government   ships  of  war,  hastily   improvis«d  and 


44  JOHN"    SALTER.    MARINER. 

in  great  part  recruited  from  the  merchant  vessels,  the 
colonies  fitted  out  privateers  of  their  own,  aided  in  many 
instances  by  private  citizens,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  our  success  in  the  war  could  not  have  been  accom- 
plished except  by  the  co-operation  of  these  daring  navi- 
gators. They  kept  the  army  supplied  with  arms,  ammu- 
nition, and  clothing  captured  from  the  enemy,  and  many 
a  time  when  the  spirit  of  our  troops  was  at  the  lowest 
ebb,  some  bold  naval  exploit  served  to  revive  their  cour- 
age. Most  of  the  battles  fought  by  tlie  Americans  were 
fought  with  implements  captured  from  the  British  vessels. 
The  principal  things  the  Contiuental  Army  lacked  were 
guns,  ammunition,  clothes,  and  money.  In  order  to 
pamper  the  soldiers  with  luxuries  of  this  sort  it  was 
necessary  to  capture  them  from  the  enemy.  So  Com- 
modore Hopkins  sailed  away  in  his  fleet  in  February, 
1776,  to  the  Bahama  Islands,  and  in  March  took  Xew 
Providence  and  secured  a  huridred  cannon  and  some  valu- 
able stores.  On  his  return  with  the  spoils,  after  taking 
two  vessels,  the  commodore  retired  from  the  service.  In 
1776  the  3IeUish  was  captured  with  ten  thousand  British 
uniforms.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  these  were  very 
welcome  to  our  impoverished  army." 

In  1776  the  American  Xavy  had  twenty- five  vessels, 
carrying  four  hundred  and  twenty-two  guns,  to  oppose 
the  British  fleet  of  seventy-eight,  mounting  2078  guns. 
But,  with  the  aid  of  privateers  owned  by  individuals  or 
the  colonies,  they  captured  eight  hundred  British  merchant- 
men. Daring  the  eight  years'  war  the  American  loss  in 
gunboats  was  twenty-four,  while  the  British  was  one 
hundred  and  two  ships  of  war.  xA.t  the  close  of  the  war 
three  gunboats  were  left,  and  they  were  promptly  dis- 
posed of,  in  order  to  rid  the  country  of  any  semblance  of 


T1BBIT8.  46 

a  navy.     The  navv  v-as  a  relic  of  the  past,  good  while  it 

lasted,  but  of  no  further  a  ■  -e.     \^^v.-  '  '     - 

had    no   need  of   iliern.      A    ^  ;    from    1  i 

said  the  navy  is  a  menace  to  our  republican  inKtitutions, 
and  '•'  elevfij     .    '  .te  men  now  in  hlaverx*  i-     "  ' 

is  the  pretext  f  ^' out   a    fleet."      L'p   to   • 

1793,    Portugal,  who   kept   a   stronp   fleet  at  Gibraltar, 
airr.--]  t  .  ].r  .!••  t   A:    •  ri<.«n  vestiels.      In  1795  a  j> 

arr.iiij^'-d    wnu    Ai^':,.i.>.      Not    havinfr   a    navy    

'  '  !:_: -^l  to  buy  our  sailors  back.      It  <•  irt  aLM>ut  a  million 

•  1   liar-   to  do   it,   and   an   annual    tribute  of  twenty -two 

t]i<»ur»a.nd  dollars  to  Algiers.      Then  O--, — 

and   by  a  majority  of  two  ordered  th< 

twenty  other   gunUiats.      Our    naval    war  with    Kranoe 

la-t.-l  from  Mav  2«,  1798,  to  Februarv  .;,  1801. 


TIJJBITS. 

LlElTE-VANT   RlCHAHD   SaLTEr' TiBBITS,   U.  S.   XaVV. 

Israel  Tlbbits  caune  from  Ix>ndon  to  Portsmouth,  and 
married,  in  1759,  Mehitable  Salter,  then  twenty-one  year>» 
old.      -  '■  1 

in    tlu    .       . ..._    ,,...- 

Tween   South   and   New  Castle  Streets.     >I  liad 

three  Sarah,  ■ 

May  1'  .    ...  ;   ll:r  ..;    .     . 

died  in   1771,  an<l  "d   Mr. 

M<^Nilti»nboro,  and  had  two  more  > 

hin.    us  an  appre«ti«*.      The   liattle  of   l^exingtOD  was 


46  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

fought  in  1775,  and  on  September  6th  Captain  Salter  and 
his  nephew  sailed  away  from  Newburyport  in  the  ship 
Crisis,  and  were  captured.  Tibbits  then  made  a  successful 
cruise  in  a  privateer.  Later  he  was  captured  in  the 
Aurora,  June  14,  1780,  and  committed  to  Old  Mill 
Prison,  Plymouth.  July  10,  1781,  after  a  year  in 
prison,  he  writes  for  money  : 

"  I  am  as  yet  a  minor'and  an  apprentice  to  my  worthy 
kinsman  and  uncle,  Mr.  John  Salter,  mariner,  and  many 
years  master  of  different  vessels  from  and  belonging  to 
Mr.  George  Boyd,  merchant,  late  of  Portsmouth.  Many 
were  consigned  to  your  house,  the  latter  particularly 
named  the  Fidelity,  and  was  sold  after  having  discharged 
her  cargo  in  London,  from  whence,  in  consequence,  my 
uncle  and  self  returned  home  as  passengers. 

"  In  order  to  acquire  a  due  experience,  sufficient  to 
qualify  me  in  the  business  of  my  profession,  that  of  a 
mariner,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  my 
kinsman  and  tutor,  I  left  home  in  a  letter-of-marque 
brig  called  the  Aurora,  under  the  command  of  Mr. 
Samuel  Gerrish,  which  vessel  was  captured  on  her  way  to 
the  West  India  Islands  by  one  of  H.  B.  M.  frigates  bound 
home,  in  consequence  of  which  it  hath  been  my  ill  fortune 
to  be  brought  to  this  place.  Previous  to  my  leaving 
home  the  voyage  before  this,  in  which  I  was  captured, 
my  uncle  was  pleased  to  make  provision  for  my  relief  in 
case  of  capture,  in  his  having  furnished  me  with  a  bill 
upon  your  house,  which,  having  no  occasion  for,  I  re- 
turned him  on  my  arrival  at  home  after  a  safe  and  pros- 
perous voyage.  My  coming  with  Captain  Gerrish  only 
admitted  of  a  small  delay." 

Tibbits  while  in  prison  kept  a  log-book  filled  with 
problems  in  geometry  and  navigation,  also  copies  of  his 


TIM  HITS.  17 

li'tt<  rs.  August  5,  ITcSl,  lu'  writi's  Sanili  r>iix«'ll,  near 
S»'h(>t)l-lu»iiso  Ltuu',  RatflifT  lligliway,  LitiKlun,  for  tin* 
adtlrrssof  CJi'Drm.'  Ilavd,  late  mcrrliaiit  of  I'ort-'iiittutli,  l»iit 
iiow  liviiii:  ill  London.  Alllioiigli  l»iit  niiu'tt'cn,  lit*  sivs  : 
"  Dear  .Miss  liii.voll  :  Tlw  ainMciil  fricii<l>lii|»  that  has 
snhsi.stetl  ht'twei'ii  yon  and  myself  has  indneed  ine  to  take 
the  liberty  to  address  a  few  lines  to  y(»n,  as  yonr'father's 
Christian  natui'  has  eseaped  my  memory,  to  a«i|naint  you 
ami  your  father  of  my  being  at  j)resent  eonlined  in  this 
plaee.  There  is  no  prospet't  at  pro.scnt  of  being  relea.se<l 
from  my  ntdiappy  situation.  I  hail  little  e.vpeetation  of 
siieh  a  dismal  prison  as  this  being  my  residence  when  F 
left  your  father's  hons»'," 

Then  follows  a  eopy  of  a  letter  to  (Jeorge  I'.oyd  : 
"  Sii:  :  Mv  present  unfi»rtnnate  and  distressi'il  siluation 
of  eaptivitv  I  hope  will  in  some  respect  apologize  for  the 
reason  of  mv  present  address.  The  knowledge  I  havi'  of 
vour  ever  humane  and  benevolent  disposition,  togetluT 
with  the  intimacy  ami  friend-.hip  that  had  hitherto  sub- 
sisted between  yourself  and  my  (HUiue.xions  are  the  prin- 
cipal motives  that  in<luee  n)e  to  stiitc  to  you  in  part  my 
situation,  in  hope  thereby  to  e.\<'ite  your  commiseration 
and  to  m»'et  vour  favor  ami  bounty.  I  had  the  very  un- 
happv  and  singular  misfortune  to  be  eomniittotl  here  on 
account  of  being  taken  in  a  letter-of-manpU'  brig  under 
the  command  of  ('aptain  Samuel  ( lerrish,  and  am  here 
now  about  a  vi'ar,  and  no  m  »r.'  pro.s[>ect  of  redemption 
than  the  day  I  was  brought  here  ;  my  distrens  incnases 
with  my  time  in  captivity,  for  when  first  imprisone<i  luul 
-avjnl  stjme  little,  that  on  being  sold  eontribute<l  to  my 
relief,  but  Time  by  her  woeful  ex|M'rience,  hath,  notwith- 
standing a  becoming  prudence,  matio  way  with  the  whole 
for  some  time  i»ast,  ant!  my  situation  is  such  as  is  ucarcely 


48  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

to  be  described,  having  barely  a  sufficiency  of  even  the 
common  necessaries  of  life  for  the  support  of  nature. 
You  will  therefore  judge  of  the  distress  which  I  experi- 
ence, and  which  is  a  common  calamity.  I  need  not  more 
fully  describe  to  you  the  woes  that  are  attendant  and  on 
almost  insufferable  with  a  state  of  imprisonment  when 
nature  is  supported  with  a  competent  sustenance.  When 
that  fails  life  itself  is  almost  a  burthen  too  heavy  to  bear, 
and  in  which  situation  have  no  alternative.  I  therefore 
request  you  will  be  pleased  to  favor  me  with  a  supply  for 
my  relief,  such  as  your  bounty  shall  be  pleased  to  dictate, 
on  account  of  my  honored  tutor  and  kinsman,  Captain 
John  Salter,  who  hath  altogether  declined  following  the 
seas  since  captured  in  the  Crisis  and  taken  into  Boston, 
who  I  am  satisfied  will  reimburse  you  fully  for  so  reason- 
able a  supply  to  the  relief  of 

''  Sir  your  devoted  sincere 

''  Humble  and  distressed  servt, 

"  Richard  Salter  Tibbits." 

Tibbits  copied  in  his  log-book  the  names  of  five  hun- 
dred prisoners  ;  names  of  vessels  and  dates  of  capture. 
The  brig  Fancy,  taken  in  August,  1777,  had  Francis 
Salter,  from  Marblehead,  and  Thomas  Salter,  from 
Frenchman's  Bay.  The  brig  Dalton,  taken  December 
24,  1776,  had  Joseph  Shillaber,  of  Portsmouth,  who  was 
exchanged  ;  Captain  Gerrish,  from  Portsmouth,  taken  in 
brig  Au7'ora,  ran  away. 

Andrew  Sherburne,  in  his  Memoirs,  published  in  Utica, 
in  1828,  gives  an  interesting  account  of  his  capture  in  the 
privateer  Greyhound,  Captain  Jacob  Willis,  of  Salem. 
In  the  outer  yard  of  the  Old  Mill  Prison  he  found  "  Old 
Aunt  Anna,"  with  her  hand-cart  to  supply  the  prisoners 


TIBBITS.  49 

with  hreail,  butter,  tobiuvo,  nee<ilei<,  and  thread.  "  I 
liailfd  from  Pisrataqiia,  and  tho  I*israta(|iia  men  were 
rallid  ami  formed  a  eireh-  around  me.  Mr.  Tihhits  was 
thr  oidv  j)erst)n  amongst  them  with  whom  I  had  had  any 
a<i|naintnnep,  thou<;h  most  of  the  Portsmouth  peojde  had 
known  mv  father."  Sherhurne  was  sixtfeii,  had  hren  at 
school  l)Ut  a  few  months,  and  eould  not  write  or  fi|rnre. 
Tihl)its  offered  to  instruct  him,  and  he  made  ni|)i<l  pro- 
gress. Soon  after  the  eaj)ture  of  Cornwallis  eansed  a 
general  exchange  of  prisoners.  Colonel  Lawrence,  Unitwl 
States  Minister  to  Holland,  was  released  from  the  'I'ower 
and  vi.site<l  Mill  Prison. 

After  fifteen  months'  ahsence  from  America  Sherhurne 
writes  he  arrivtnl  at  I'ortsmouth.  **  There  was  a  letter- 
of-manjue  hrigof  eight  carriage  guns,  called  the  Smrjtiou, 
fitting  out  for  the  West  Indies,  to  he  comnuuuled  hy 
Captain  Ivichard  Salter,  ami  my  good  friend  liichanl  S. 
Til)l>its,  who  was  my  tut(»r  in  Mill  Prison,  was  going  as 
one  of  the  mates,  an<l  I  had  the  offer  of  going  as  hoat- 
rtwain.  We  had  Ix^en  out  about  five  days,  and  were  dis- 
covereij  by  one  of  his  most  gnicious  majesty's  frigates, 
whi<*h  cluused  us  from  10  a.m.  to  3  P.M.  un<ler  what  the 
sailors  would  call  a  stiff  and  increasing  breeze,  and  though 
our  brig  was  an  excellent  sailor  she  nither  gained  upon 
us.  We  were  therefore  obliged  to  heave  off  our  ileckIoa<i 
of  lumber  and  then  very  easily  escapcil  her.  We  arriv«-<l 
at  (iuadalou|)<'  and  then  .Hailinl  for  Montserrat,  «»ur 
captain  iM-ing  dis.-.atisfic«l  with  the  market.  The  nriti>h 
cr»iis«'rs  at  this  time  kept  a  sharp  lookout  among  the  \\  e.^t 
India  Islands  for  the  Yankees,  and  as  we  went  out  of 
the  bav  we  dis<t)vere<l  a  brig  which  had  <H»nc««aIe«l  hcr>4'lf 
behind  a  |>oint  of  land.  She  a|)|K'aretI  to  Ih'  in  rather  n 
careless  situation  iintil  we  had  got  so  far  from  the  liarlxir 

4 


50  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

that  she  could  intercept  our  retreat.  She  then  began  to 
make  sail  and  gave  us  chase.  We  had  a  fresh  breeze  and 
were  running  almost  before  the  wind  ;  the  masts  and  spars 
of  each  vessel  would  about  bear  all  we  could  crowd  upon 
them.  It  was  an  eventful  period  with  us,  for  we  saw 
that  she  was  determined  to  come  up  with  us,  and  we  had 
every  reason  to  believe  she  was  an  enemy,  and  that  she 
had  too  many  guns  for  us.  I  presume  there  never  was  a 
fairer  chase.  I  do  not  now  record  the  distance  from 
Guadaloupe  to  Montserrat,  but  be  it  more  or  less  she 
chased  us  from  one  island  even  into  the  harbor  of  the 
other.  The  chase  continued  from  8  or  9  in  the  morning 
until  3  or  4  p.m. 

''  Our  pursuer  was  the  brig  Bee,  mounting  sixteen  guns, 
and  reputed  a  very  fast  sailer.  She  was  within  a  mile  of 
us  when  the  chase  began,  and  after  having  chased  us 
several  hours  a  heavy  squall  in  which  she  was  obliged  to 
douse  a  considerable  number  of  her  sails,  brought  her 
within  forty  rods,  yet  she  did  not  fire  a  gun.  We  had  as 
many  hands — eighteen — as  was  necessary  to  work  our 
vessel,  and  I  question  whether  there  was  ever  a  vessel 
worked  in  a  more  masterly  manner.  The  same  squall 
which  struck  the  Bee  in  turn  struck  us  also,  but  we 
having  had  opportunity  to  observe  its  weight  and  effect 
upon  the  privateer  were  better  prepared  for  it.  We  being 
in  complete  readiness,  every  man  having  a  perfect  knowl- 
edge of  his  business,  we  took  in  our  studding-sails,  clewed 
up  our  top-gallant  sails  and  let  run  our  topsails,  jib,  and 
staysails,  and  immediately  commenced  setting  them  again. 
Tiie  Scorpion  now  left  the  Bee  as  fast  as  the  Bee  had 
gained  on  the  Scorpion  in  the  time  of  the  squall.  The 
Bee,  notwithstanding,  hurriedly  continued  even  into  the 
harbor  of  Montserrat.    The  Bee  kept  French  colors  flying 


TIBUITS.  ol 

iluriiii^  the  wiiolo  oliasi',  luit  I  am  not  ctMtaiii  \\Ii«tlnr  we 
sliowt'tl  any  o)l(»rs.  Wt-  ran  as  mar  tlic  slntiv  as  we 
(Ian  <1,  and  let  p>  an  anchor.  Slu"  caino  within  a  hnntlrctl 
yanis  of  ns,  hove  shiji,  anil  haih-d  n-;.  ^\'hile  laving 
umh'ronr  stern,  hroadsiile  to,  she  had  oj»j)ortnnitv  to  have 
done  us  eonsiderahle  injjiry  by  rakin;;  us  ;  hut  her  roni- 
mander  had  the  luunanity  and  jjonerosity  to  refrain  from 
injuriui;  us  exeept  to  fri^^hten  us,  and  more  speeially  the 
Freneh  j>ih»t  and  his  boat's  erew,  who  by  this  time  had  p)t 
on  board  and  seein;;  the  lUe  hiyini:  broadside  to  us,  her 
port-  up  and  iruus  out,  were  in  expectation  of  receiving  a 
broadside,  Siune  of  them  juujpcd  l)ch)\v  an<l  (dhers  fell 
upon  their  faces,  eryiu;;  out,  '  Foiifre  d' Aui/lais.'  The  lire 
8too<l  to  sea  apiin  under  all  the  siil  she  could  set.  The 
fort  immediately  commence<l  tirinij  ujxm  her,  but  she 
sei-mcd  to  biil  llu'in  delianee,  by  haulin;;  down  her  French 
colors  and  displaying  the  Kn^^lish  tla^;,  and  matle  her 
es<'ape  without  ret'eiviu;;  any  injury."  This  extraordinary 
chase  and  nuina'uverin^  must  have  been  highly  interesting 
to  a  disinterested  spectiitor.  Sherburne  says  they  sailed 
with  a  cargo  for  Alexandria,  \'a. ,  aiul  were  i-aplured  by 
his  Majesty's  ship  Aiii/»liion,  forty  gnus,  at  twt)  in  the 
ujorning.  '*  We  were  standing  directly  for  each  other.  As 
ftoon  as  we  diseovere<l  her  we  hove  about,  but  all  our 
enih'jivors  to  es<'a|M'  her  were  abortive,  for  we  were  within 
musket  shot.  The  <lischarge  of  a  few  of  the  heavy  caiuji>n 
acoompli.Hhcil  her  object.  Our  Captain  Tibbits  and  three 
others  continu(Hl  on  board  the  Srarpinn,  which  was  after- 
wanl  cast  away,  l)ut  I  Indieve  no  lives  were  lost.  Thir- 
teen of  us  wen?  put  on  bosird  the  Amphion,  and  two  weeks 
later  we  arrive<l  at  the  prison-ship  in  New  York." 

Sherburne  writes  :   '*  The  war  beini;  ende<l,  I   ship|M><J 
on  lM>ard  the  ship  Lydin,  comnuuuhtl  by  ray  old  friend 


52  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

Captain  R.  S.  Tibbits,  bound  to  North  Carolina,  then  to 
Lisbon. 

'^  Nothing  nncommon  occurred  until  we  made  the  land 
on  the  coast  of  Portugal.  We  stood  along  the  coast  under 
easy  sail ;  it  being  toward  night  we  did  not  wish  to  ap- 
proach very  near  the  land.  The  weather  was  very 
pleasant  and  the  wind  light. 

"  The  Algerines  at  this  time  were  committing  depre- 
dations on  our  commerce.  It  was  but  little  before  this 
that  Captain  O'Brien  had  been  taken,  who,  with  his  crew, 
were  in  slavery  among  them  a  number  of  years.  We 
were  in  some  fear  of  them  and  kept  a  bright  lookout.  I 
had  gone  below  at  12  o'clock  and  turned  in,  but  was  not 
yet  asleep.  I  thought  I  heard  the  distant  sound  of  a 
human  voice  ;  the  captain  was  on  deck  and  busy  in  talk- 
ing. I  heard  the  sound  again,  and  began  to  feel  alarmed, 
and  was  turning  out,  but  discovered  that  they  heard  the 
sound  on  deck  and  were  listening  and  looking  out.  The 
sound  neared  us  fast.  All  hands  were  immediately  on 
deck.  There  was  now  no  question  but  the  sound  was 
from  an  Algerine  galley,  which  was  by  this  time  within 
fifty  yards  of  us.  She  hailed  in  several  different  lan- 
guages, and  Captain  Tibbits  having  the  helm,  there  being 
plenty  of  work  for  every  one  else,  gave  them  indirect 
answers.  Never  were  people  more  alarmed  than  we  were 
now.  Never  did  a  crew  make  sail  quicker  ;  we  set  our 
top-gallant  sails,  hauling  our  wind  a  little,  and  got  out 
our  studding-sails,  etc.,  and  by  this  time  our  pursuer  was 
within  twenty  yards  of  us.  She  feigned  herself  in  distress, 
and  designed  thereby  to  decoy  us.  She  had  laid  under 
the  land  without  having  any  sail  set,  and  by  that  means 
could  not  be  discovered  by  us  before  night  ;  while  at  the 
same  time  she  could  very  plainly  discover  us,  and,  having 


TIHHITS.  53 

discovered  how  we  were  standing,  shaped  her  coni'se  to 
athwart  our  fore  f«iot,  as  the  siiih)r  woiihl  sjiy,  Imt  she 
heiui;  to  ht'ward  was  ohlip'd  to  th-peiid  ii|h>ii  her  oars. 
She  Imd  desi^ueil  no  douht  to  have  hoanh-d  ii>,  Imt  when 
she  sjiw  that  we  were  liki'ly  to  shoot  hy  her  eiuh-avored 
to  deeoy  us.  Slie  did  not  show  a  rai;  of  sail  until  she 
had  eoni|)lcte!y  ^'ained  onr  wake,  and  then  l)ci,'an  a  chase 
with  a  full  press  of  sail,  lint  our  ship  heini;  an  e.\«'ellent 
.Siiiler  we  soon  he^^an  to  leave  her,  and  thus  hy  the  nu'rey 
of  Gtxl  we  escaped  capture  and  slavery.  She  <hased  us 
hut  a  very  little  while,  and  findinj;  she  was  no  match  for 
us  in  sailini;  ^ave  up  the  chase,  took  in  lier  sails,  and  we 
soon  lost  sii^ht  of  her.  The  next  day  we  ^ot  into  Lishon 
autl  reported  the  ciniinistances  of  this  chase.  Tlu-re  ini- 
niediately  went  out  a  <;overnnu'nt  hrii;  in  pursuit  of  her, 
hut  I  did  not  undcr.-taud  that  she  ever  found  her.  W'l- 
took  in  a  part  of  oiir  carp)  at  Li>i)on  ant!  had  to  j;(»  to  St. 
I'l)es  for  the  remainder,  and  were  with  a  nnmhcr  of  other 
vessels  convoyed  off  the  coast  hy  a  Portuguese  frijiate," 

The  Lydin  arrived  safely  in  America  with  liercarj^  of 
sjilt,  and  Sherhuriu',  who  had  heen  tau^iit  to  write  in 
Plymouth  Prison  hy  Tihhits,  opened  a  s<1um)1  for  hoys 
on  the  Saco  Kiver,  fifty-tivo  niih's  from  Portsmouth,  in 
•laiuiary,  17S»;.  Hr  says  in  his  Memoirs:  "  Had  I  had 
n<»t  heen  drawn  or  rarrie*!  throuijh  the  distrcKsin^  scenes 
whi<h  I  have  already  relate],  and  heen  hxlmtl  in  (  )ld  Mill 
Prison,  I  had  |irol»al)ly  never  ac(juired  an  eilucation  sutli- 
cient  to  have  su-itainc<l  these  olliccs  and  to  have  performiHl 
the  husiness  whi<-h  has  j)rove«l  so  profitahlc  to  mc" 

Sherburne  representetl  the  town  of  ( 'ornish,  where  he 
kept  S4-hool,  at  a  convention  held  in  Berwick  in  re^'ard  to 
public  buihlin^s.  (ienend  .lohn  Pro>t,  of  the  Kevolu- 
tionary  Army,  was  calletl  to  the  chair.      In  SoptendxT, 


'54  fOB%   S^LTZe,   JLJLZISZ^, 

.%»  one  ftHmlf«d  aertr  k>>v  >  M^wadk^ 

ia  K  ,  ^  tf»  the  Xew  Haatpe^iier  a»KK 

Ij'jf  '»  re»t  tfesw  is  A9iiis*ie(t,  17WK     I» 

A  ■  _■  ,--  -.,—-"  IT, ...  --,    f  _  .  ->.-  rt  moAs 

>?  9nKVB»  oc  nKfyrp»iatt>r>«. 

■    '    '  '■•'*  jprocfciMig^  Sfcw- 

':r,  awl  all  tktr 

in  AfyriJ,  ! 

_-..  .    :  -jnwtjh  TicaiflM  aa^ 
Pr '  X«Nr  BrvagBviek;  aa^  aM(db«r  iteualb»Mir  Cf> 

K««  V  '  ;     -'  I  tiwk  aa  offMirtrautr  t»  vint 

the  ^  >  '^   'jffHgKile  t»  wUdb  fewtilj  Isr 

tia-.  .  /«rwy.     I  yaHi0«d  <pref-  Ikt  p^ 

th«  '^'-  -  -'-  -'  "" 

7  .'«pQ«t»  aaoCker  rvn^  m  war  Umesk, 

€H  r  :s.%  17«^,  tW  Britiih  kft  5«v  Y«vk,  aiad 

'T*5,  the  !»%  Xtphgmff  Csftaia 

jarf,  P«vtiaaMMth,  aad  Mileii  ta 

tlK^  W<K«  lEyi>«»  with  a  load  9i  humhsr,  wihodb  «a»  es- 

dbaa^«d  f«ir  |Madb«o«»<if  nua,  aad  haded  ia  P«*tnMadk 

cft    •Si-r.r>«ri'?*^-       Ir,  J-t't  **i*!-t  -JBrfrWp  ia  .faeiC>»=-^   T5«T  'ibWt'!: 


TIBBIT9.  fth 

Tibhit*  (lieil  in  1^21);  Captain  Shm-kforrl  wan  taken  down 
with  t}i«'  f»'%'«'r  aii'I  ■  ■  At  I'ort  At  • 

the  raptain  went   -  lenire  of  tl«> 

nmn<ling    offit«r.        Port    Maria,    0«-i»ya,    Morro    ( 
FIa'.:ina,   ami  othor  p«»rtM   aro  nu'iition«'<i.      AmKhcrr  lug 
'lioWH  Tilibit-H  wai  near  Havana  April  ♦*,  1812, 

Li(*iit<*nant  TiM)it>»  was  one  of  tin-  first  offufT>s  *f\w\v*\ 

for  the  new   navy  of   the  Unite*!  States.      He   had   Ix^n 

'       *    '  il*rr>ad,ar       *   -      i  .  .  .1      .,?a  all  hi»  life,  and  wan 

I    a    ver\  <>T.       Me   ent«r»d    tlw? 

?»»*rvioe  l^ecember  5,  17IJM,  during  the  war  with   France. 

.I-.liii   Alif.i-.   who   waM   then  I*r»-<i  ' 

mi--i'.ii  .l:iiiii.iry  7,  171)9.      C.  W.  <r  _    .  -     - 

r»tarv  of  the  Xavy,  wn>te  him  fonr  ilayn  later  :  **  The 
Pn-i'I'tit  of  the  I'nitr"*!  Stat^-^  hy  .ind  with  th<-  advice 
and  wnin^nt  of  the  S*;nate,  has  a{){>ointed  you  a  I,^  •-  -.  Kit 
in  the  Navy  of  the  UniterJ  .States.  You  will  ini 
re|jair  on  Ikkih!  the  ^hip  PortMm/iuih,  cornrnande*!  by 
Daniel  .MeNVill."  The  PoHnnotUh,  twenty-f  -  ■ -, 
built  in   I*ortj*mouth,  carrie«l  .1  r-rew  of  two  hui  1 

twenty  men. 

I^ieut«'nant  Til»l»it-  di»ii  in    '  '     ''      'i,  In  r)i  f 

IMJI.      Ilr  inarri'-d  Sarah  Fro-  7,   17m7. 

uncle,  John  Salter,  marrierl   her  stater,  Jane   Froat,  No- 
v.tM»»*>r    1,   1783.     Sarah    Fro-t    Tibbif*,  ^ho  » 

Inn-    11,  17»i*i,  liver!   for  many  yi-an*  in   I'lea»ui 
I'orti^moiith,  where  she  die*!  January  4,  18.*>2. 

(in  ti  sheet  of  pa|ier  that  had  been  s<>nt  to  R.  8. 1 
tli-n-  !-   ■«ipie<!  an  extrart  from  a  letter  : 

A  ._•  «Ht   2»),    1784.      Ih   not    this    «*trin«r*    w*aih#r* 
Winter  alnrirfie*!   the   xprinjf,  and    now  aa( 


56  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

wish  you  more  time  would  not  be  kind,  but  what  time 
you  have  you  must  bestow  upon  me.  Since  I  was  here  I 
have  two  little  letters  from  you,  and  have  not  had  the 
gratitude  to  write,  but  every  man  is  most  free  with  his 
best  friends,  because  he  does  not  suppose  that  they  will 
suspect  him  of  intentional  incivility.  I  thank  you  for 
your  affectionate  letter.  I  hope  we  shall  both  be  the 
better  for  each  other's  friendship,  and  I  hope  we  shall 
not  very  quickly  be  parted.  Your  letter  was  indeed  long 
in  coming,  but  it  was  very  welcome.  Our  acquaintance 
has  now  subsisted  long,  and  our  recollection  of  each  other 
involves  a  great  space  and  many  little  occurrences  which 
melt  the  thoughts  to  tenderness.  Write  to  me  therefore 
as  frequently  as  you  can." 


Children  of  R.  S.  Tibbits  and  Sarah  Frost. 

First  child,  born  April  20,  1789  ;  died  in  infancy. 

Richard,  born  April  25,  1790.  Married,  in  1822, 
Martha  W.  Mellen,  and  died  July  19,  1838. 

Hall,  born  April  25,  1790  ;  died  January  31,  1791. 

Sarah  Chase,  born  March  30,  1792.  Married,  in  1817, 
John  Salter,  and  died  April  16,  1867. 

Harriet  Chase,  born  March  20,  1795.  Married,  in 
1821,  Benjamin  Salter,  and  died  November  1,  1872. 

Hall  Jackson,  born  August  9,  1797.  Married,  in 
1826,  Jane  C.  Warner,  and  died  August  24,  1872. 

Dorothy  Jewett,  born  July  22, 1801,  and  died  January 
17,  1848. 

Mary  Laurin,  born  August  25,  1803  ;  died  July  5, 
1824. 

William  Cutter,  born  July  9,  1806  ;  died  in  September, 
1837. 


TIHHITS.  57 

Kli/aboth,  hum  July  !»,  180G.  Marrioil,  in  IS.IT,  .I..hn 
Lake  Salter,  and  ilie«l  October  15,  1871. 

Caroline  Au<;usta,  horn  Scpteniher  11,  1808.  Mar- 
ried, in  182f;,  X.  \V.  Merrill,  and  died  OetoUr  18,  1877. 
('aroline  was  the  last  survivor  of  the  children  of  K,  S. 
Tihhit.s  and  Sanili  Frost,  and  when  she  died  !H.'Venteen 
nephews  and  nieecs  filetl  their  claims  for  the  Merrill 
ducats,  Surrot^ate  Calvin,  after  listeninj;  to  an  unusual 
number  i>f  »li.stin^uished  i)eople,  viz..  Cardinal  McCli>skey, 
(tenenil  John  A.  Dix,  Admiral  Sy Ivanus  W.  Ginlon, 
Genenil  Kufus  Saxton,  Thurlow  Weed,  Cyrus  W.  Field, 
Stewart  Brown,  Mos<'s  Taylor,  aii<l  <ithers,  rejwted  the 
will  «)frered  for  probate. 

The  brothers  and  sisters  of  Caroline  Merrill  married 
and  left  families.  Richard  had  three  children  :  Aui^usta, 
Richard,  ami  ( Jeor^e.  Ilall  had  two  children  :  (Jeorj^e 
and  Robert.  Sarah  had  ei^ht  children  :  .bthn,  Kllen, 
Frances,  Mary,  Marjjery,  .\nnie,  Kmily,  and  Au^^usta. 

Kli/;il>eth  Tibbit.s  marrie»l,  May  27,  18.'J7,  her  cousin, 
John  L  ,  son  of  Titus  Salter.  She  had  four  children  : 
John,  Kllen,  Abi«;ail,  and  William.  She  died  Oetol)er 
lo,  1S71. 

John  L.  Salter,  born  May  21,  ISO*;,  in  Portsmouth, 
die<l  in  Odell,  Illinois,  Deeenil>er  2,  1892.  He  married 
his  >e««>nd  wife,  Mary  Jane  Hall,  ( )ctober  7,  187'>.  She 
dieil  February  *»,  1S77.  Captain  Salter  then  marrie<l  his 
sister-in-law,  Louisa  A.  Ilall,  September  11,  1877.  She 
dietl  Januarv  4,  18I«2,  and  ( 'aptain  Salter  nuirritnl  a^iin 
Jrru-ha  Spnt^ue. 

William  Tibbits  Salter,  the  only  surviving  chiM  of 
John  L.  Salter,  was  born  in  Maiiu",  went  We>t,  and  now 
livj's  in  I^wrenceville,  Illinois.  He  marrietl  Mary 
Ellen   Ilolcomb,   July  2,    1807.     She  dietl  October  23, 


58  JOHN    SALTER,    MARINER. 

1891.  On  April  23,  1893,  he  married  Lilian  Mary 
Thompson.  W.  T.  Salter  has  had  ten  children  :  John 
Henry,  married  Rose  Robinson.  Florence  May,  married 
Fred.  Cook.  Elizabeth  Tibbits,  married  Warren  B. 
Kilgore.  Sarah  Adeline,  married  John  B.  Stout.  Clara 
Lonise,  Mary  Frances,  William  Rymond,  Stanley  Wal- 
lace, George  Everett,  Georgie  Ellen. 


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